Boca Raton magazine December 2017

BOCAMAG.COM

INFLUENCERS: 13 People Who Are Changing

10

TOP PICKS FOR

GREAT DINING NOW

THE DATEJUST The archetype of the modern watch has spanned generations since 1945 with its enduring functions and aesthetics.

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1111 LINCOLN RD, MIAMI BEACH, FL 33139. 305.695.6300. © 2017 DOUGLAS ELLIMAN REAL ESTATE. ALL MATERIAL PRESENTED HEREIN IS INTENDED FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. WHILE, THIS INFORMATION IS BELIEVED TO BE CORRECT, IT IS REPRESENTED SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL

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elliman.com NEW YORK CIT Y | LONG ISLAND | THE HAMPTONS | WESTCHESTER | CONNECTICUT | NEW JERSE Y | FLORIDA | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | INTERNATIONAL

WITHOUT NOTICE. ALL PROPERTY INFORMATION, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SQUARE FOOTAGE, ROOM COUNT, NUMBER OF BEDROOMS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN PROPERTY LISTINGS SHOULD BE VERIFIED BY YOUR OWN ATTORNEY, ARCHITECT OR ZONING EXPERT. EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY.

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WHERE LUXURY MEETS NEW HEIGHTS

SALES GALLERY . MONDAY - FRIDAY:10AM TO 5PM This residential development TOWER 155 (“Project”) is being developed 155 Boca Raton Road, LLC ("Developer"), which has a limited right to use the trademarked names and logos of Compson. Any and all statements, disclosures and/or representations shall be deemed made by Developer and not by Compson, and you agree to look solely to Developer (and not to Compson and/or any of its affiliates) with respect to any and all matters relating to the marketing and/or development of the Condominium and with respect to the sales of units in the Condominium. ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE. These materials are not intended to be an offer to sell, or solicitation to buy a unit in the condominium. Such an offering shall only be made pursuant to the prospectus (offering circular) for the condominium and no statements should be relied upon unless made in the prospectus or in the applicable purchase agreement. In no event

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561.396.2787

WWW.TOWER155.COM

shall any solicitation, offer or sale of a unit in the condominium be made in, or to residents of, any state or country in which such activity would be unlawful. This is not intended to be an offer to sell nor a solicitation of offers to buy real estate to residents of CT, ID, NJ, NY and OR, unless registered or exemptions are available, or in any other jurisdiction where prohibited by law, and your eligibility for purchase will depend upon your state of residency. For correct representations, reference should be made to the documents required by section 718.503, Florida Statutes, to be furnished by a developer to a buyer or lessee. All images and designs depicted herein are artist’s conceptual renderings, which are based upon preliminary development plans and are subject to change without notice in the manner provided in the offering documents. All such materials are not to scale and are shown solely for illustrative purposes.

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Boca Raton, Florida | 6 bedrooms, 6 full and 2 half baths $3,450,000 | Search RX-10328964 on coldwellbankerluxury.com

OUR EXPERTISE IS LEGENDARY Since 1906, Coldwell Banker has represented many of the world’s finest homes, including some of the most iconic properties in America. Market your distinctive residence with a name that stands the test of time. Contact a Coldwell Banker Global Luxury property specialist today. Ž

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Boca Beach 561.395.2233 | Boca Central 561.994.8886 | Boca Downtown 561.391.9400 Boca Resort 561.447.3229 | Delray Beach 561.278.0300

C O L D W E L L B A N K E R R ES I D E N T I A L R E A L ES TAT E

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The property information herein is derived from various sources that may include, but not be limited to, county records and the Multiple Listing Service, and it may include approximations. Although the information is believed to be accurate, it is not warranted and you should not rely upon it without personal verification. Š2017 Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate. All Rights Reserved. Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Operated by a subsidiary of NRT LLC. Coldwell Banker, the Coldwell Banker logo, Coldwell Banker Global Luxury and the Coldwell Banker Global Luxury logo are service marks registered or pending registrations owned by Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. 206825FL_10/17

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‘TIS THE SEASON TO INDULGE. DISCOVER BOCA.

RECEIVE A $500 RESORT CREDIT* A modernized Mediterranean Resort Village spanning over 300 acres, Boca Raton Resort & Club has every imaginable amenity to offer today’s luxury traveler. Enjoy the half-mile private beach, 13 bars and restaurants, award-winning Waldorf Astoria Spa and the FLOWRIDER wave simulator.

For reservations visit BocaResort.com or call 561.447.3000.

@bocaresor t #bocaresor t B O C A R E S O R T.COM

© 2017 Hilton Worldwide

*Earn a $100 resort credit per night stayed, up to 5 nights, with the Discover Boca offer. Two night minimum stay.

Maximum credit earned $500 per stay. Visit bocaresort.com for complete terms and conditions.

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2017

›

VO L . 37 , I S S U E 9

Features

110

The Influencers

These 13 individuals—advocates and bloggers, techies and gurus, watchdogs and promoters—are changing the way we think about Boca Raton.

By RANDY SCHULTZ

122

10 Restaurants to Visit Now

Our food critic whittles down the county’s culinary landscape to 10 restaurants forging new territory when it comes to the dining experience. Did your favorite spot make the list?

By LYNN KALBER

134

Five Things That Changed Florida Forever

We revisit the monumental events that shaped the Sunshine State, from the construction of I-95 to the arrival of a certain mighty mouse.

By JAN ENGORAN

140

Savor Dining

The beloved Savor the Avenue celebrates its 10th anniversary in March. These are the restaurants that will serve al fresco dinners on the five-block-long table in downtown Delray.

122

Langoustines oreganata at Trattoria Romana

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••••

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2017

›

VO L . 37, I S S U E 9

83 163

68 Departments 36 Editor’s Letter

Whether it’s from an inspirational art teacher, a gracious sister or an iconic Beatle, the author has often found herself under the influence.

By MARIE SPEED

39 The Local

Delray’s Christmas tree experiences new growth, a legendary Boca boutique turns 30, and an education advocate rings a bell for underfunded schools. Plus, we talk pigskin and community with Boca’s Bowl guy, we toast the holidays with artisan whiskey and much, much more.

By ALLISON LEWIS, MARIE SPEED, SHAYNA TANEN and JOHN THOMASON

50: Dress Code: Be the belle of the holiday ball with power-red accessories, sparkling diamond jewelry, and shimmering silver footwear.

For guys, meanwhile, bow ties make for stylish and whimsical conversation pieces.

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••••

72: City Watch: In our postmortem on Hurricane Irma’s effect on South Palm Beach County, there’s plenty of blame to go around.

has stayed pet-smart for more than 45 years, and an entrepreneur with a “Brisk” way to compete with Amazon and eBay.

By RANDY SCHULTZ

By GARY GREENBERG and ALLISON LEWIS

75 LoveBoca

97 Feel Good

Boca magazine highlights its partners with a series of fun events that showcase their brands and businesses.

83 Home

These are the luminous statement pieces, designer accessories and luxe fireplaces that brighten up any winter interior. Plus, discover why December is a seller’s market for real estate.

By ROBIN HODAS

89 The Biz

Tone, strengthen and sharpen in the red glow of a trainer’s “furnace”—then rejuvenate in the tranquility of a Delray spa. Plus, a travel agent explains that stress-feel holiday travel is actually a thing.

By ALLISON LEWIS

104 The Boca Interview

Renegade racket-wielder Jimmy Connors reflects on his extraordinary career behind the net—and his current second act as the Boca Resort’s tennis pro-in-chief.

By RANDY SCHULTZ

Meet a dedicated doctor who throws the kitchen sink at cancer, a family business that

December 2017

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BOCA RATON SHOWROOM | 1353 North Federal Hwy., Boca Raton FL 33432

ROBBSTUCKY.COM • NAPLES • FORT MYERS • SARASOTA • CORAL GABLES • BOCA RATON

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CONTENTS DECEMBER 2017

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VO L . 37, I S S U E 9

149

104 Departments 149 Backstage Pass

NPR personality Peter Sagal discusses why South Florida was the only possible setting for his new play, about a pair of fugitive seniors on a beeline for the bottom of the country. Plus, our calendar curates December’s top picks for theatre, art, music, comedy and more.

163

By JOHN THOMASON

163 Dining Guide

Our review-driven guide to the finest dining in South Florida spotlights Boon’s Asian Bistro, Joseph’s Wine Bar and Batch Gastropub. Additionally, we deconstruct the most elaborate gingerbread house this side of Hansel and Gretel.

Reviews by LYNN KALBER

197 The Scene

In our society roundup, celebrity hoofers raised money for charity at Boca’s Ballroom Battle, the Boca Chamber’s Wine & Jazz event struck perfect harmony, and St. Andrews Country Club raised funds for Irma victims.

149

By SHAYNA TANEN

208 My Turn

In this season of giving, the author gifts his latest column to two of Boca Raton’s most influential philanthropists.

By JOHN SHUFF

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••••

December 2017

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®ROBERTOCOIN

SYMPHONY COLLECTION

TOWN CENTER AT BOCA RATON

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BOCAMAG COM

24 Web Extras

FIND US ON

Check out these bonus items unique to bocamag.com, stories in our December issue and things to do this season:

SOCIAL MEDIA

CITY WATCH: Get the most important Boca and Delray news at bocamag.com. Every Tuesday and Thursday, columnist and veteran Palm Beach County journalist Randy Schultz updates you on controversial building projects, city council meetings and more.

Visit bocamag.com/city-watch for the most recent articles and to sign up for email updates.

DECONSTRUCTING THE DISH: Your gingerbread house just got a multimillion-dollar rebuild. Watch how executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, Franny Monahan, decorates her version of the

A radiant look from Ivy Leez Luxe Makeup & Beauty Lounge

classic confectionary construction at bocamag.com/video.

BLIND TASTE TEST: We test the owners of specialty spirits store Vom Fass in Mizner Park to see how well they can identify their whiskies. Think Napoleon Dynamite’s milk tasting, only a lot stronger. Go to bocamag.com/ video to watch.

YOUR TOP 10 DINING SPOTS: In this issue, food critic Lynn Kalber selects her 10 favorite restaurants in Palm Beach County.

Now we want to hear yours: Visit our Facebook page @bocamag to list your 10 faves, and we’ll run the results next issue.

SHINE BRIGHT: Achieve stunning shimmer and gorgeous glimmer with these New Year’s Eve makeup looks by Ivy Leez Luxe Makeup & Beauty Lounge.

Watch how to do it yourself at bocamag.com/december-2017.

Franny Monahan’s gingerbread house

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••••

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

RED HOT RESULTS: IHPX trainer Andy Sziraki is a fitess fanatic (No, really, he is. We haven't met anyone else like him). Watch Andy demonstrate how to do five IHPX exercises in the living room at bocamag.com/december-2017.

#bocamag winner Boca mag’s social media platforms are the place to be when it comes to special giveaways this season. Check our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for alerts and instructions, and you could be #WinningWithBoca.

In October we gave away two tickets to The Addison’s show-stopping Halloween party. David and Maru Acosta, dressed as a Pac-Man game and its blue ghost character, Inky, had a blast at the “American Horror Story”-themed event, complete with a haunted walk-through and spooky sights galore. It’s great to be a #BocaMagWinner!

December 2017

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Bright idea for holiday gift-giving.

GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Marie Speed

Start the holidays stress free, with relaxing spa treatments for yourself and gift cards for everyone on your list.

MANAGING EDITOR

John Thomason ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Allison Lewis WEB EDITOR

Purchase $300 or more in Spa gift cards and receive a complimentary Aquiesse® holiday-scented candle.*

Shayna Tanen SENIOR ART DIRECTOR

Lori Pierino ART DIRECTOR

Valentine S. Fracassi PHOTOGRAPHER

Aaron Bristol PRODUCTION MANAGER

Mandy Wynne GRAPHIC DESIGNER/PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Shari Brown CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jan Engoran, Gary Greenberg, Robin Hodes, Randy Schultz, John Shuff CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Jason Nuttle, Michael Price VIDEO PRODUCTION/CUSTOMER SERVICE

David Shuff FOOD EDITOR

Lynn Kalber DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

Rebecca Valenza CORPORATE ACCOUNT MANAGER

Bruce Klein ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Booking any of our decadent massages, facials, or body treatments grants you all-day access to an array of complimentary hotel amenities, including the hotel pool and poolside bar, fitness center, tranquility room, and steam room.

To book your appointment, call 561.510.2842

State of Florida, Department of Health, Massage Establishment. License # MM 23691 *Offer available for a limited time, and valid only on gift card purchases made in person at The Seagate Spa.

••••

December 2017

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Portia Smith EVENTS MANAGER

Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards “Top 75 Hotel Spas in the U.S.”

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MARKETING MANAGER

Julia Jendruczek

Gift cards may be purchased at The Seagate Spa, or online by visiting TheSeagateHotel.com/giftcards.

Open daily 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Located at The Seagate Hotel & Spa 1000 E. Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach

bocamag.com

Gail Eagle Lindsay Koolis Lorraine Manfre Sandi Selig Debbie Strand

Boca Raton magazine is published nine times a year by JES Publishing.

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

10/27/17 10/30/17 2:55 3:37 PM PM

11/6/17 3:39 PM

SipKlein Luxury Real Estate Welcomes You

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List Your Property with SipKlein Luxury Real Estate • Powerful Internet Marketing • Geo-Targeting and Data-Driven Advertisements • Custom Integrated Marketing Campaigns • Large Custom Brochures Mailed to Thousands • Major Lifestyle, Design and Real Estate Magazines • Global Network of Ultra-High Net-Worth Property Buyers Advanced real time data and layers of pragmatic filters, Isaac is using tools to sell real estate by reaching most of the relevant luxury home buyers at just about any time or anywhere online.

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Visit our new website at www.SipKlein.com | Call Isaac: 561 400 2085 Email: Isaac@SipKlein.com | Like us on social media! Facebook.com/SipKlein FRIENDLY

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DEDICATED

KNOWLEDGEABLE

DATA-DRIVEN

INNOVATIVE

10/26/17 2:06 PM

RICK OWENS GOLDEN GOOSE NORMA KAMALI MARSÈLL

1000 CLINT MOORE ROAD, #103, BOCA RATON, FL 33487 561/997-8683 (PHONE) • 561/997-8909 (FAX) BOCAMAG.COM MAGAZINE@BOCAMAG.COM (GENERAL QUERIES)

R13 FALIERO SARTI GIORGIO BRATO

PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER

Margaret Mary Shuff GROUP EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Marie Speed

ROYAL PALM PLACE BOCA RATON 561-367-9600

LAS OLAS FT. LAUDERDALE 954-524-2585

DeborahJames.com

DIRECTOR OF ADVERTISING AND MARKETING

Rebecca Valenza CONTROLLER

Jeanne Greenberg JES MEDIA PRODUCES:

Boca Raton magazine Delray Beach magazine Mizner’s Dream Worth Avenue Boca Raton Chamber Annual Salt Lake magazine Utah Bride and Groom Utah Style & Design Salt Lake Visitors’ Guide

FLORIDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION 2017 CHARLIE AWARDS CHARLIE AWARD (FIRST PLACE) best column (City Watch) best department (Backstage Pass) best overall online presence SILVER AWARD best overall design best overall writing best use of photography best redesign best in-depth reporting (South Florida Rocks!)

BRONZE AWARD best in-depth reporting (Mall Murders) best feature (Robert Did It!) best magazine website

FLORIDA MAGAZINE ASSOCIATION 2016 CHARLIE AWARDS CHARLIE AWARD (FIRST PLACE) best overall magazine best editorial/commentary (City Watch) best custom magazine (Worth Avenue) best overall use of photography

Celebrating 30 years of Fashion Avant Toi bocamag.com

••••

December 2017

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SILVER AWARD best department (The Boca Interview) best in-depth reporting best feature design best overall design best overall writing

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DIRECTORY

Boca Raton magazine is published nine times a year, with January, February, March, April, May/June, July/ August, September/October, November and December issues. If you have any questions or comments regarding our magazine, call us at 561/997-8683. We’d love to hear from you.

Subscription, copy purchasing and distribution

For any changes or questions regarding your subscription, to purchase back issues, or to inquire about distribution points, call circulation at 877/553-5363.

Advertising and event resources

Take advantage of Boca Raton magazine’s prime advertising space—put your ad dollars to work in the premier publication of South Florida. For more information, or to partner with Boca Raton on a community event, contact Rebecca Valenza (rebecca@bocamag.com).

Custom publishing

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

Story queries

Boca Raton magazine values the concerns, interests and knowledge of our readers about the community.

Please submit story and profile ideas by email to Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com). Due to the large volume of pitches, the editor may not respond to all queries.

Boca Raton does not accept unsolicited, ready-for-print stories.

Web queries

Submit information regarding our website and online calendar to Shayna Tanen (shayna@bocamag.com).

Letters

Your thoughts and comments are important to us. All letters to the editor may be edited for style, grammar and length. Send letters to the address listed below or to Marie Speed (editor@bocamag.com).

Letter to the Editor Boca Raton magazine 1000 Clint Moore Road, #103 Boca Raton, FL 33487

Arts & entertainment

Where to go, what to do and see throughout South Florida. Please submit information regarding galas, art openings, plays, readings, concerts, dance or other performances to John Thomason (john.thomason@ bocamag.com). Deadline for entries in an upcoming A&E section is three months before publication.

Dining guide

Our independent reviews of restaurants in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. A fine, reliable resource for residents and tourists. For more information, contact Lynn Kalber (lynn@bocamag.com).

People

A photo collage of social gatherings and events in Boca Raton and South Florida. All photos submitted should be identified and accompanied by a brief description of the event (who, what, where, when). Email images to people@bocamag.com. bocamag.com

••••

December 2017

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bocamag.com

••••

December 2017

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WILD AND WONDERFUL WOMENSWEAR

GARDEN SHOPS 7050 W PALMETTO PARK RD (AT POWERLINE) BOCA RATON FL 33433 (561) 447 4117

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Your One Stop for Holiday Shopping

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André Dupree Apeiro Kitchen & Bar Apricot Lane AT&T Batch Gastropub bFit Delray Burt & Max’s Bar and Grille Cabo Flats Cantina & Tequila Bar Care Dental Carl’s Patio Charming Charlie Chase Bank Chico’s The Children’s Place Color Me Mine Crave Kids & Tweens Boutique Francesca’s Collections Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille GNC Hair Studio Artists Hoffman’s Chocolates IT’SUGAR Japango Jos. A. Bank LOFT Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ The ManCave Salon Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt My Day Spa Oh My Bod Orangetheory Fitness Pizazz Publix Super Markets Revival Boutique Revival Essentials Shoe Garden Shula Burger Soma Intimates Sprint Ted Todd Insurance Terra Fiamma Venetian Nail Spa Verizon Wireless White House | Black Market Xfinity Yankee Candle

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36

FROM THE EDITOR

Making Change

This month we salute people who are changing the way people think in Boca—and taking that notion to heart

By MARIE SPEED

nfluencers is the new buzzword these days, replacing power brokers or players or MVPs or game changers or thought leaders. But we are using it quite literally in this issue (page 110), describing 13 people who are effecting specific change in our community, from greening the country club model to questioning rapid development to spreading mindfulness to institutions throughout the city. Their actions are influencing people and stimulating discussion, and we wanted to give them a shout-out as the year draws to a close.

We all have influencers in our lives, some we’ve never met, others whom we rely on for guidance or pushback or validation. I have my own long list, starting with my fourth-grade teacher, Miss Lilly Garver, who encouraged me to write, even way back then.

There was another teacher, Gail Kelly, who would become a lifelong mentor from the moment she kidnapped me from homeroom in seventh grade to help her in art class.“Life is too short to peel tomatoes” is only one of the things she has taught me, but the general message is one of joy and exuberance and love.

There was William Faulkner and Hemingway and John Lennon and Suellyn Winkle, a longtime friend and one of the smartest women I have ever known. And all my friends who routinely shape who I am and how I think about things. My parents, my colleagues, the men I have loved.

The beauty about having an influencer in your life is that he or she does not try to influence you; they just live the way they live, and if it’s interesting or inspired, it reverberates through you like an aftershock.

Some of these people have taught me to say “why not?” instead of “no,” or that it’s all right to be afraid, or that doing the right thing is the only sure avenue to the right answer. That less is more, looking back can be a huge waste of time, and it’s better to go to Italy than re-sod your yard, if you have a choice. Most of my influencers are braver than I am and smarter and more committed; all of them are somehow heroic to me.

One of them, my sister, has taught me how important it is to be thankful for what we have—not what we may have lost—which can be hard to live by. But this is the season for that kind of gratitude, so it makes sense to say it out loud: Thanks to the people who continue to influence Boca Raton, the ones we write about here and all the others, philanthropists to do-gooders to civil servants and worker bees.

And thanks to the people in my life who make it better every day.

bocamag.com

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••••

December 2017

11/6/17 10:43 AM

Find a little holiday magic close to home at Boca Center.

Enjoy the heart of the holidays in the heart of Boca.

5 1 5 0 TOW N CE N TE R CI RCL E • M I L I TA RY TR A I L , J U ST N O RTH OF PAL M E T TO PAR K

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EVERY MAN’S DREAM...

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excell auto group 1001 Clint Moore Rd. Ste 101 Boca Raton, FL 33487 www.excellauto.com 561.998.5557

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THE LOCAL

BY T H E N U M B E R S B O C A C H AT T E R H OT L I S T R I S I N G S TA R

S T E WA R D D R E S S CO D E B E AU T Y

GIFTS FAVO R I T E D I S H DRINKS WO RT H T H E T R I P C I T Y WATC H

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› › › › › › › › › › › ›

40 42 44 46 48 50 62 64 66 68 70 72

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BY THE NUMBERS

Oh, Christmas Tree!

This month we give you Delray by the numbers, both in honor of Delray’s brand-new Christmas tree and in remembrance of the old 100-foot conifer erected on the front lawn of Old School Square every December for more than two decades.

20K-30K

People attended the Christmas tree lighting at Old School Square last year.

50ft

7:15 p.m.

Santa will light the new Christmas tree at

Time of tree lighting on November 30.

41K LBS Weight of the new Christmas tree.

Diameter of the base of the tree.

17,980

Lights illuminate the new tree, and it will be adorned with 28,026 ornaments.

110 feet

The actual height of the 100-foot tall tree, including the star on top.

49,824,000

Approximate number of needles on the new tree.

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So Boca.

So Brilliant.

Discover Boca’s Most Stylish Waterfront Resort The award-winning Waterstone Resort & Marina is the place to be in the City for All Seasons. Featuring two incredible restaurants – Boca Landing Prime Seafood & Crafted Cocktails and the always fun Waterstone Rum Bar & Grill – this stylish boutique hotel offers dockside access and spectacular waterfront views. Experience Boca at it’s best at Waterstone Resort & Marina.

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BOCA CHATTER

Happy Birthday Deborah James!

O

5

THINGS

WE LOVE ABOUT DECEMBER

Deborah James in Paris

ATHLEISURE

Having lunch at the Mariposa at Neiman’s before going Christmas shopping.

And then buying new shoes for yourself instead.

THE SMELL OF THAT FRASER FIR. Watching the boat parade with your friends from beach chairs along the Intracoastal.

OPENING THE WINDOWS FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE APRIL. Having a scotch at the bar at Fifth Avenue Grill, decked to the nines with Christmas decorations.

bocamag.com

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••••

This trend is here to stay. Layer lightweight hoodies and athletic fabrics under jackets and sweaters for effortless comfort and spot-on style.

ne of Boca Raton’s truly great boutiques—Deborah James—is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, and we salute its owner Deborah Shuart (the“James”is named after her father) for her high style, retail acumen and uncanny knowledge of the discriminating Boca shopper.

Shuart’s father was a New York-based menswear manufacturer, so fashion has always been a part of her life. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology and worked her way up at Burdines, moving from New York to Miami. When she wanted to start a family, she realized the corporate world didn’t have time for her three children, so she opened her own store in 1987.

Today, the store in Royal Palm Place (she’s got one on Las Olas too) is a go-to fashion stop directly influenced by Shuart’s trips to New York, Milan, Paris and L.A. during fashion week, and her countless hours of product research. Here’s some advice she had—after 30 years in business in Boca—along with the musthaves of the 2017 season.

BEAUTY BOOTY

Boot pants are back in! And Shuart says that in Paris, highwaisted jeans are EVERYWHERE. Combine them.

BLAZERS

The bomber jacket was huge last year, but it’s finally stepping off the pedestal and back into the closet. Bomber, make way for the blazer.

JEANS, 2017-STYLE

Rippy cropped jeans (light washes are popular now) pair perfectly with booties, slouchy sweaters— basically anything.

YES, VELVET!

Velvet is coming out in the daytime this season—and can be worn from morning into the evening.

SHINE

“Everything is very shiny right now,”she says.“It’s very good for Boca because we’re so glitzy.”

Another thing:“The sneaker is the huge story this season,”Shuart says.

December 2017

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43 MUST-DO DECEMBER DIVE INTO THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT with the annual holiday street parade (Dec. 6, 7:30 pm., from Southeast Seventh Street along Federal to Mizner Park) or watch the annual boat parade drift by along the Intracoastal (Dec. 16, 6:30 p.m., from the C-15 Canal to the Hillsboro Bridge). For the kiddies: a free “Polar Express” showing at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at Mizner Park Amphitheater.

GO TO A FREE PEP RALLY! This one is for the upcoming Boca Raton Bowl (Dec. 19) and will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 18 at the Mizner Park Amphitheater.

TAKE A WALK ON WORTH AVENUE in Palm Beach past the decorated holiday windows.

Breathe in that ocean air, that historic architecture, that dazzling Christmas tree. And then sidle up to the bar at Ta-boo and have yourself a merry little toddy. Or two.

GET OUT. As in visit Loxahatchee or one of Boca’s 40some parks, or anyplace atwitter with birds, basking alligators, marsh grasses and swamp lilies.

This is our season (finally!) to indulge in the Great Outdoors.

GO SEE A BLOCKBUSTER MOVIE at one of our ohso-fancy theaters. We like “Gotti,” starring John Travolta as the notorious crime boss, or “Downsizing,” starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig, about a man who shrinks himself to have a larger life. Both debut in December.

Locals sound off on issues affecting our community.

$1.32 billion

Retail value of Christmas trees in the U.S.

70

Percentage of people who will be home for the holidays.

15.4 Percentage of retailers who start holiday promotions October 1.

—Statista.com

What local holiday tradition do you always look forward to?

“When I was a kid it was attending the National Enquirer Christmas Tree, which was a holiday masterpiece. Since then, our family tradition is to enjoy a big dinner feast at a nice local restaurant on Christmas Eve.”—Glen Calder, Director of Public Relations, Pinnacle Advertising and Marketing Group

“The holiday tradition I have been attending for years that I truly adore is Kathy Adkins’ annual Cookie Exchange. Guests are invited to join her in celebrating the season, adorned in holiday cocktail attire [and] bearing home-cooked goodies (no store-bought allowed!). We all share the history or story of our recipes. There’s a lot of laughs, libations and love as friends gather to celebrate the holidays and the gift of friendship.”—Lisa Ring Warren, Idea Engineer, Lisa Warren, Inc.

AARON BRISTOL

“We love to dine and drive during the holidays! We have always spent one evening driving around Boca with hot chocolate in hand to see the lights, and our newer family tradition is reservations Christmas Eve for a festive dinner at Trattoria Romana.”—Michele Bellasari, Founder, #SoooBoca Lifestyle, Events and Real Estate Blog

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THE LOCAL

HOT LIST

“School of Rock: The Musical”

“A Man for All Seasons: The Art of Winston Churchill”

WHERE: Society of the Four Arts, 2 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach WHEN: Dec. 2-Jan. 14 COST: $5 CONTACT: 561/6557226, fourarts.org To put it mildly, Winston Churchill had a demanding day job. But the military leader, prime minister and Nobel Prize-winning writer managed to forge a parallel career as a painter, humbly exhibiting his work under pseudonyms. He picked up his first brush at age 40 while tinkering with one of his children’s paint-boxes, and proceeded to create more than 500 canvases over the next 45 years.

Inspired by Cezanne and by influential journeys to Avignon, the French Riviera and Marrakesh, Churchill’s impressionist landscapes captured light and nature with the majesty of a plein air master—but he never would call himself one. This exhibition features 28 of his finest paintings, along with vintage photos, film clips and historic memorabilia.

bocamag.com

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••••

WHERE: Broward Center, 201 S.W. Fifth Ave., Fort Lauderdale WHEN : Dec. 12-24 COST: $30-$160 CONTACT: 954/462-0222, browardcenter.org “School of Rock”is the latest touring example of Broadway going back to the overflowing well of Hollywood, but this time the decision couldn’t be more sensible. The 2003 movie is as beloved for its decibel-raising songs as it is Jack Black’s liberated man-child performance. While Black won’t be reprising his role as a slovenly has-been rocker who transforms a class of straitlaced private schoolers into mini Robert Plants, the music has lost none of its eardrum-pounding edge. On the contrary, the story has gained 14 new songs since its transformation for the stage, all courtesy of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The composer’s blistering contributions lack the operatic pretensions of his more recent work, and in a first for Broadway, the child actors will play their instruments live onstage.

Miami City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker”

WHERE: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach WHEN: Dec. 28-30 COST: $30-$125 CONTACT: 305/929-7010, miamicityballet.org For 27 years, the prevailing wisdom among Miami City Ballet toward its enchanting production of “The Nutcracker”has been,“if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”This year, MCB has finally decided to retire its longtime holiday linchpin, enlisting Cuban-American fashion designers Isabel and Ruben Toledo to conceive brandnew sets and costumes. While the Sugar Plum Fairy will be decked out with new wings, the choreography

by George Balanchine and the score by Tchaikovsky remain, the latter performed every night by the company’s Opus One Orchestra.

Jim Gaffigan

WHERE: BB&T Center, 1 Panther Parkway, Sunrise WHEN: Dec. 29 COST: $31.50-$65.50 CONTACT: 954/835-8000, thebbtcenter.com

Jim Gaffigan’s clean material, political agnosticism and everyman persona have garnered him a near-universal fan base of American comedy-goers. While his industry peers risk alienating half the country with pointed barbs at the party in power, Gaffigan reserves his most trenchant observations for mini muffins and that well-trod topic du jour, air travel. Yet few comics since Seinfeld have deconstructed the quotidian with as much wit or personality.

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RISING STAR

Bowling for Boca

The Boca Raton Bowl is about more than football—it’s about community Written by ALLISON LEWIS

IF YOU GO: WHAT: Fourth Annual Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium WHEN: Tuesday, December 19 at 7 p.m.

CONTACT: 561/362-3661, thebocaratonbowl.com

bocamag.com

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••••

JASON NUTTLE

I

n 2014, Doug Mosley received an offer he couldn’t pass up. ESPN asked Mosley to serve as executive director of the Boca Raton Bowl game at Florida Atlantic University. The Boca Bowl is just one of 13 college bowl games ESPN owns and operates, with team connections in the American Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Mid-American Conference.

“When they asked, I instantly saw it was an incredible opportunity,”he says.

Four years later, the Boca Bowl is thriving and gaining more attention each year as tickets sell out. Mosley, who has more than 25 years of experience in college athletics, says Palm Beach County is a “hotbed for high school recruiting”with “tons of Division I student athletes.”

Mosley loves his job for two reasons; the first part is the students.“I love the reaction of the student athletes and the experience we give them,” he says. The week before the bowl game is full of trips to the beach, accommodations at the Boca Resort or the PGA National Resort, welcome parties and more.

Additionally, Mosley sees the bowl as a great way to build community engagement in Boca.“I like that we give a unique experience to the community,”he says.“It’s different. I see real pride and ownership. People have a lot of fun.”

Rather than promoting the bowl game as just a sporting event, Mosley endeavors to involve everyone in Boca Raton, especially kids and families.

“I’m trying to answer the questions, ‘What brings me to the event? What will the kids want to do?’”he says.

He’s already had some food trucks lobbying for spots around FAU Stadium before the game starts, and he plans to offer plenty of entertainment.

“We continue to push the envelope,”Mosley says.

For example, cabanas in the stadium’s north end zone were a hit last year.

“People love premium seating. I know I do,” he says, laughing.

The December bowl game is quickly becoming a holiday habit, earning the nickname“Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party.”

“We want it to be a tradition, a community event,” Mosley says.“I want [everyone] to come out and enjoy the event—not just the football game.”

December 2017

11/6/17 11:34 AM

If you haven’t been here… you haven’t been to Palm Beach.

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Fine Restaurants, Cafés & Boutiques Worth Avenue, Palm Beach, FL www.Worth-Avenue.com info@worth-avenue.com 561.659.6909

Download Our Worth Avenue App

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THE LOCAL

STEWARD

Saved by the Bell

LOCAL steward DEC17.indd 48

Written by JOHN THOMASON

B

oca Raton is full of persuasive advocates touting its stellar business sectors, its affluence, its upscale beauty.

We don’t hear as much about the more economically needy sections of Boca, namely an underfunded public school system.

“There’s a big misconception that Boca Raton has all this money, and that all the schools are A-rated, and only the rich kids go to the schools. But we know that’s not true,”says Chuck Stout, an insurance consultant with CBIZ and the chairman of

the Boca Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation.“You go into these schools, like Boca Raton Elementary, and there’s a lot of low-income children there. One of the things we’re always trying to fight is the perception that Boca schools don’t need extra money.”

This is where Golden Bell comes in. For more than 25 years, this nonprofit has helped fill the financial gaps in Boca’s public schools by raising funds throughout the community and redistributing them through targeted grants. Golden Bell-funded programs include everything from elementary school literacy initiatives to middle school technology upgrades to experiential learning for high schoolers.

West Boca High School received a $6,000 EKG machine for its Academy of Medical Sciences—courtesy of an in-kind donation from West Boca

Medical Center—and Boca Raton High received funding to buy a drone for its ROTC program. Since its inception, Golden Bell has donated $1.4 million to the public school system, benefiting more than 700,000 students. “[Golden Bell was] set up to support local public schools for things the state doesn’t give them money for,” Stout says.

Stout is entering his second year as Golden Bell’s chairman, but he’s already been instrumental in its growth. Upon accepting the position at the request of Boca Chamber CEO Troy McLellan, Stout and/or his board members made it a point to meet with every public school principal—to remind them about Golden Bell, and to help improve their grant requests.

A salesman by trade, Stout also amped up Golden Bell’s fundraising efforts, resulting in a record $85,000 distributed for this school year alone; He hopes to reach $100,000 next year. Fundraisers like last spring’s Teen Fashion Show at Town Center, which will return in April, as well as giveback events at chamber businesses and support from the city will help the organization reach its goal.

“If I’m going to volunteer to do something, it’s not just to have my name on the list,” he says.“I understand how important education is. I married a schoolteacher. Both my kids went to public schools.

I’m very much a believer in education, which is why Golden Bell is so important to me.”

Schools can apply for 2018 Golden Bell grants from Jan. 1 through the beginning of May. For information, call Christie Workman at 561/395-4433 or email cworkman@bocachamber.com.

AARON BRISTOL

“I think Golden Bell is still a bit of a hidden treasure, and that’s why we’re trying to use social media outreach to get the word out.”

The proactive chairman of Golden Bell is setting new records for education investment

11/1/17 5:19 PM

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SAINT LAURENT PATENT RED HEELS, Neiman Marcus Boca Raton, $995 GIVENCHY RED PATCHWORK SATCHEL, Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, $3,190

DRESS CODE

Red Hot

Take over the season with power red, our bold and bright color of the year

FENDI RED FRINGE SHOULDER BAG, Neiman Marcus Boca Raton, $3,500

Dress Code Wardrobe Stylist JENNA DEBRINO/ HOT PINK STYLE Assistant Stylist AMANDA MILLER/ HOT PINK STYLE

bocamag.com

••••

December 2017

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DRESS CODE

Merry & Bright

Holidays are all about sparkle, and nothing says that better than rubies and diamonds—with a little peridot thrown in for the season Marquis diamond and ruby ring set in platinum, $8,995; oval ruby and diamond ring in sunflower design set in platinum, $46,299; both from Diamonds by Raymond Lee Dangle earrings set in 14-karat white gold with diamonds and rubies, $6,995, from Diamonds by Raymond Lee

18-karat white gold diamond and ruby band with oval cut faceted rubies and round brilliant cut diamonds, $5,700, from Cristino Fine Jewelry

LOCAL Dresscode DEC17bbb.indd 52

18-carat Burmese peridot ring set in 18-karat brushed yellow gold, with one carat of yellow diamond pave and one carat of cabochon Burmese ruby screws, $35,000, from Eliani Fine Jewelry

White gold bracelet with rubies and diamonds in floral design, and 18-karat yellow gold ring with oval ruby and accent diamonds, prices upon request, both from Jewels in Time

11/3/17 10:52 AM

TM

RO AL PALM PLACE TM

Your Style For Life

TM

Fun, Fashionable and Fabulous!

International Restaurants Fashion Boutiques Fine Jewelry Fine Art Salons & Spas Specialty Shops Financial & Legal Services Class A Offices Luxury Rental Residences PETS WELCOME!

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THE LOCAL

DRESS CODE

Silver Sparkles This year, after dark goes full-on shimmer

GUCCI MARY JANE PUMP, Neiman Marcus Boca Raton, $1,190 YVES SAINT LAURENT CRYSTAL SLOUCH BOOTS, Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, $10,000 EMM KUO CLUTCH, Michelle Farmer Boca Raton, $785

bocamag.com

••••

December 2017

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11/3/17 11:44 AM

ELIES FINE JEWELRY & DESIGNER CONSIGNMENT Still your destination for fine jewelry, unique gifts and Judaica…

And now the best of designer consignment. Come buy & sell!

Left to right: Hermes Birkin Bag, Gucci Belt, Chanel Silver Ballet Flats, Jimmy Choo Boots, Chanel Belt, Saint Laurent Handbag, Hermes Scarf

Elies is your one stop for luxury jewelry, designer accessories and unique gifts.

Ask about our special occasion jewelry rentals.

Located in Regency Court at Woodfield, 3011 Yamato Road A-18, Boca Raton, FL 33434 Phone: (561) 997-2033 | Web: Eliesfinejewelry.net | Like us on Facebook!

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THE LOCAL

NORMA KAMALI BLACK VELVET BLAZER, Deborah James Boca Raton, $266 JIMMY CHOO BLUSH VELVET BAG, Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, $775 CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN PRINTED VELVET BOOTS, Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, $1,095

bocamag.com

••••

DRESS CODE

The Velvet Touch

The softer side of winter is showing up from head to toe

December 2017

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Why Wait to Get a More Youthful Appearance?

Creating

Beautiful Smiles for Over 30 Years!

Cosmetic and Laser Dentistry ◆ Dental Implants ◆ Invisalign® Orthodontics Porcelain Veneers ◆ Smile Imaging ◆ Smile Makeover ◆ Teeth Whitening Implant Crowns ◆ Nightlase Laser Snoring Treatment

Revolutionary Fotona Ultra Peformance Laser

Revolutionary, Non-Surgical, NonInvasive Laser Procedure to Lift, Tone and Tighten Skin with No Downtime Fotona’s Smoothlase Laser Facial Rejuvenation is now

available in Boca Raton at Dr. Clive Rosenbusch’s state-of-the-art office. The laser stimulates deep structural support layers of the skin–including those typically addressed in a surgical facelift–to lift, tone and tighten loose skin around the mouth, chin, lips, and jawline. The procedure is done from inside of the mouth without disturbing the surface of the skin in a short in-office procedure.

Dr. Clive Rosenbusch Dr. Rosenbusch has over 30 years of experience focusing on cosmetic dentistry and has extensive training in facial rejuvenation using Fotona’s Smoothlase laser. Dr. Rosenbusch is a member of the American Dental Association, Academy of General Dentistry, Implant Prosthodontic Section of ICOI, and the Florida Dental Association. He is a Diplomat of the ICOI (International Congress of Oral Implantologists).

Masters level in Aesthetic Dentistry at the Rosenthal Institute in New York

Call 561-394-7888 or visit us at cliverosenbuschdds.com to learn more about Fotona Smoothlase Facial Rejuvenation and Smile Makeover.

2499 Glades Rd, Ste 307, Boca Raton, FL 33431

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DRESS CODE

Tie One On

Sass up that boring tux with one of these wild and whimsical bow ties

BRACKISH FEATHER BOW TIES, all from Neiman Marcus Boca Raton, $195 each CARROT & GIBBS BLACK AND WHITE BOW TIE, Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, $75 VITALIANO BLACK AND RED BOW TIE, Saks Fifth Avenue Boca Raton, $148

bocamag.com

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December 2017

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FEELING HOPELESS? If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, there are options. At Neurocore Brain Performance Centers, we know depression can feel insurmountable and medications might not be free alternative using 21st century science and technology to treat associated symptoms at their core. Our comprehensive assessment and innovative program is customized for each person’s unique needs.

Contact us for more information.

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HIS BOSS BOTTLED TONIC, Macy’s Boca Raton, $86 LACOSTE L’HOMME, Kohl’s Coconut Creek, $78

HERS CHLOÉ ABSOLU DE PARFUM Limited Edition, Sephora Boca Raton, $115

DRESS CODE

Eau What Fun

Add these aromatic accessories to your holiday wardrobe

Written by ALLISON LEWIS

MARC JACOBS DAISY Anniversary Limited Edition, Macy’s Boca Raton, $100 TIFFANY & CO. EAU DE PARFUM Limited Edition, Bloomingdale’s Boca Raton, $130

bocamag.com

••••

December 2017

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PLASTIC SURGERY OF THE FACE

creating a natural, healthy and more youthful appearance

with feminine artistry, grace and aesthetic sensibility

Surgical Specialist Focused

Individualized Treatment

Uniquely on the Face,

The Doctor’s Personal Care

Neck, Eyes, Forehead

A Beautiful Patient Experience

Non-surgical Aesthetics And Expert Injector of BotoxÂŽ and Dermal Fillers

Board Certified Plastic Surgeon Over 20 Years Experience

model is an actual patient

DrHernandez.com 561-750-8600 4799 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida

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BEAUTY

Shine Like You Mean It Shine brighter than Times Square when the ball drops this New Year’s Eve with these glamorous party looks by the owners of Ivy Leez Luxe Makeup & Beauty Lounge, Ivy Sims and Lisa Vasta.

Written by SHAYNA TANEN

ABOUT IVY SIMS AND LISA VASTA: Sims, a professional makeup artist, and Vasta, a makeup enthusiast, met at a Las Vegas pool party. Their friendship didn’t stay in Vegas, and when Vasta suggested they open a “makeup lounge” in Boca, Sims agreed.

Their lounge offers makeup applications and lessons, hair styling, private events and parties. They have a makeup line that includes mink eyelashes, foundation, bronzers, lipsticks and more.

For appointments, call 561/409-4065.

233 S. Federal Highway, Suite 104, Boca Raton ivyleez.com Special thanks to our model, Kymberly Edwards.

WEB EXTRA: For a full list of products used and to watch a video tutorial, visit BOCAMAG.COM/ DECEMBER-2017.

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••••

JUICY BAD APPLE

Eve’s got nothing on this bold, sinfully shimmery lip.

GET THE LOOK:

CHAMPAGNE POP

Your eyes will dazzle like a disco ball, in a good way!

GET THE LOOK:

Start with a nude shimmery base, like Ivy Leez Liquid Shimmer with luster pigment on the eyelids. Then create a smoky eye with a black shadow or smudgy eyeliner along the upper lash line, blending into the outer corner of your eye with a brush or your finger.

Continuing to follow the shape of your eyeball, pressing and wiggling your shadow brush on the lid to evenly apply the pigments. Apply the same eye shadow or liner underneath the lower lashes and sweep it up toward the top of your eye, smudging with your finger to create a less defined line.

Finally, using a wet glitter, dab onto your eyelids until you’re shinier than Liberace’s closet. Sims and Vasta used Stila’s Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid in “Gold Goddess.”

Prep your lips with a sugar scrub to ensure they’re smooth and moisturized. Apply a bright red lip liner, filling in to cover your lips completely.

Vasta says that if you want extra volume, carefully extend the liner just outside your natural lip line.

She recommends a liner over a lipstick because it will last longer. It’s also just sticky enough to adhere a loose shimmer to your lips, like MAC’s glitter pots. Vasta used a rusty red pigment, dabbing it on with fingers or a flat brush.

PRO TIP: Limit shimmer to one area of your face. If you’re lighting up your eyes, stick to a neutral lip color with a glossy finish. Or if you’re pixelating your pout, stick with a simple shimmery eye shadow in a light tone.

December 2017

11/1/17 5:22 PM

Join us at the

A Masquerade Gala Honorary Chairs Carrie Rubin Judi & Allan Schuman Black Tie - Masks will be provided No Costumes

6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Boca Raton Resort & Club

Saturday, February 3, 2018 with Special Entertainment The Temptations

Cocktails, Dinner and Dancing to South Florida’s best dance band Valet Parking

Sponsorships and Tables are available.

Individual Tickets $500 Call Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation at 561-955-4142 or visit donate.brrh.com/Ball

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GIFTS

Toyland The top five toys on every child’s holiday wish list Written by ALLISON LEWIS

F

or parents, it’s the eternal question this time of year: What should I get my child (or children) for the holidays? With a little help from Santa and his elves, we’ve picked out the top five best-sellers for this year’s holiday season. These selections are available at most major retailers.

1. THOMAS & FRIENDS SUPER STATION, $99.99

Bring the story of Thomas the Tank Engine to life with this three-level play track.

Three engines are included, with room for an additional 100 engines. Compatible with other Thomas & Friends sets. Ages 3 and up.

2. AIR HOGS DR1 MICRO RACE DRONE, $39.99

Make a child’s pilot fantasy come alive with this racing drone. It’s a perfect starter drone for new users and includes flight-assistant technology for automatic landings and takeoffs.

Advanced modes make it great for seasoned

drone users as well. Good for indoors. Ages 10 and older.

3. SHOPKINS SHOPPIES SUPER MALL, $79.99 Take the mall to the next level with this three-story Shopkins Super Mall. Children will enjoy taking their shoppies to the food court, the movies and, of course, the fashion boutique. Ages 5 and older.

4. MINION MIP TURBO DAVE, $79.99

Turbo Dave is every kid’s dream: With more than 140 comedic responses built-in, this two-wheeled Minion can navigate throughout the house and react to different hand signals and sounds.

Use the Minion MiP app to plan a route, “drive” or interact with other “Despicable Me” characters. Ages 8 and up.

5. STABLE BUDDIES CHESTNUT HORSE AND WILLOW UNICORN 6V PLUSH RIDE-ON, $149

The extremely soft, utterly adorable ride-around horse and unicorn are just as good as the real thing. Each animal makes fun, magical sounds and music, and each comes with its own stable.

Ages 3 and up.

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MY FAVORITE DISH

Ackee and Saltfish SAYS WHO: Jon Robertson WHERE TO FIND IT: Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro

Jon Robertson

WHY IT’S HIS FAVORITE: “I’m originally from Jamaica, and the dish reminds me of home.”Ackee is a national fruit of Jamaica whose origins stretch to 18th century Africa. It’s often consumed at breakfast alongside a scramble of cod or pollock and a side item—in Rocksteady’s version, it’s dumplings. If made well, the sweet, slightly nutty fruit will offer a pleasing juxtaposition to the dried, salted fish.

WHERE IT IS: Rocksteady Jamaican Bistro, 2399 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, 561/465-3167, rocksteadyjamaicanbistro.com

AARON BRISTOL

ABOUT DR. ROBERTSON: Dr. Jon Robertson is a professor of music and the dean of Lynn University’s

Conservatory of Music, which hosts its 15th annual Gingerbread Holiday Concert Dec. 10 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. The university’s Philharmonia Orchestra plays seasonal selections for an audience of all ages, to provide funds for student musicians. At this year’s performance, there will be a guest appearance by one of the world’s best triangle players.“My passion for music is driven by an insatiable desire to share the music and rhythms that permeate my being,” he says.

bocamag.com

••••

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December 2017

11/1/17 5:25 PM

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DRINKS

Whiskey Business One family-run shop brings unique spirits to Boca’s beverage connoisseurs Written by ALLISON LEWIS

F

or spirit enthusiasts, Vom Fass in Mizner Park is one of Boca’s hidden gems. One side of the store shelves colorful grappas, liqueurs and rums, while the opposite wall holds direct-from-cask whiskeys, bourbons and Scotch. Unlike competitors, everything is made in limited batches from international, small-family private cellars, solely for the Boca store.

Owners Daniella Alterio, her husband, Oscar Martin, and her mother, Laura Zecchini, opened the store two years ago, next to The Dubliner. Martin says Vom Fass is a great opportunity to “bring in unique”selections for everyone, especially during the holidays.

“Every palate is different,” he says.“It’s unpredictable.”

Much of the supply is“smallbatch European whiskeys,”Martin says. Vom Fass works directly with the Teeling brothers of Teeling Whiskey Distillery in Dublin; one Teeling has personally visited the store. Alterio says there’s a 14-year-old Spanish whisky that has been flying off the shelf since it came in, and there’s a new Indian whiskey, too. American bourbons and whiskeys are produced in Madison, Wisconsin, and of course, the single-malt Scotch comes from high-end producers in Scotland.

Once something runs out, it’s gone for good.

If whiskey, Scotch

Oscar Martin and Daniella Alterio

AMERICAN: Bourbon Whiskey: a blend of American whiskey and Kentucky bourbon combined at the Yahara Bay Distillery in Madison, Wisconsin.

IRISH SINGLE MALT WHISKEY: Brothers in Arms: Malt whiskey aged in both sherry and bourbon casks is blended; caramel, toffee and nutty notes; spicy, lingering finish.

years in oak; nutty, smoky and salty with hints of bacon.

SPANISH: Single Malt Whisky: American oak cask; long finish; beautiful amber shade.

Serve drinks neat, on the rocks, or in a delicious, festive cocktail. .

Vom Fass Boca Raton 437 Plaza Real, Mizner Park 561/409-4414 bocaraton.vomfassusa.com

SCOTCH, BLENDED: The Gentleman: aged 35 years in oak; blends the best of single-grain and single-malt Scotch whiskys.

SCOTCH, SINGLE-MALT: Isle of Jura: Aged eight

AARON BRISTOL

WEB EXTRA: Watch Alterio and Martin do a blind tasting at bocamag.com/ december-2017

or bourbon is a staple at your next holiday party, stop by Vom Fass and pick up something special.

Alterio and Martin recommend the following:

bocamag.com

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••••

December 2017

11/6/17 1:21 PM

mixology Boca magazine’s Third Annual

BOCA’S CRAFT SPIRITS EVENT

SAVE THE DATE

TOP BRAND CRAFT SPIRITS A N D L O CA L R E S T AU R A N T FA R E GOOD SPIRITS. GOOD MUSIC. GOOD FOOD. GOOD TIMES

March 16, 2018 5 : 3 0 p. m . - 8 : 3 0 p. m . | MI Z N ER PARK AMP H I T H EAT ER , B OCA R ATON 21 and over please. Proof of age will be required at the entrance to Mixology.

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WORTH THE TRIP

The Diplomat Beach Resort The 60-year-old Hollywood getaway is enjoying an award-winning makeover Written by JOHN THOMASON

WHILE YOU’RE IN THE AREA…

Be sure to venture outside the Diplomat to visit the yearround Yellow Green Farmers Market.

This Hollywood institution is the Costco of fresh farmers’ markets, featuring 300 vendors clustered in 100,000 square feet of roofed outdoor space. Cuisines from Ethiopia to Venezuela, desserts from banana bread to gluten-free cakes, and just about every vegetable, protein or dairy item you can conjure can be purchased and, often, sampled.

The Yellow Green Farmers Market, at 1940 N. 30th Road, is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Clockwise from top left: the hotel's grand entrance and bar, cabanas and the pool

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LOCAL worth the trip DEC17.indd 70

A

s any politician will tell you, diplomacy is hard.

But at the Diplomat Beach Resort, the living is easy—and as removed as it gets from big-city bustle, even if the traffic of downtown Hollywood is minutes away.

One of Broward County’s most historic oceanfront resorts, this onetime Southeastern social hub for the Rat Pack, Joan Rivers and Liza Minnelli turns 60 in 2018.

With that anniversary looming, the resort recently underwent a $100 million transformation. This included the 1,000 guestrooms and 10 new food and dining options, or “culinary concepts,” to borrow the Diplomat’s parlance.

Gone are the fountains, escalators and black-and-white tile flooring that greeted visitors upon entry. Instead, the new lobby is a leafy sprawl of wood paneling and tropical oases, with towering palm trees that are as tasteful as they are iconic. It’s just one of the ways the renovation aims to “bring the outside in, and the inside out.”

Another is the addition of the Hotel Bar, an indoor-outdoor cocktail haven that begins in the lobby and continues on the poolside deck. It’s where you can order vintage tiki drinks like the Mai Tai, the Hemingway-approved “Papa Doble” and the Roasted Marshmallow Old Fashioned, which is chilled by a single mammoth ice cube and garnished with a blowtorch-toasted ‘mallow.

We understand if the Hotel Bar is your favorite Diplomat hang, but you can’t go wrong with any of the resort’s culinary creations. Diplomat Prime is a luxury boutique steakhouse evoking the venue’s ‘50s roots; and Point Royal features coastal American cuisine (and a knockout breakfast buffet) curated by celebrity chef Geoffrey Zakarian.

But our favorite Diplomat restaurant is Monkitail, specializing in modern Japanese fare, which recently was awarded USA Today’s Best Hotel Restaurant. Consider ordering the Chef’s Tasting, an 11-course meal of eclectic Asian favorites. (All restaurants are open to

the general public as well as hotel guests.)

The guestrooms are lovely, if oddly lacking in some of the basics (No coffee maker?).

But you won’t want to spend much time in them. You’ll want to enjoy your staycation on the water. Our advice: Skip the busy pools and enjoy the private beachfront, preferably under the shade of a cabana on the sand.

Now more than ever, the Diplomat is proof you don’t need to trek down to Miami to live like a tourist. Prices for everything do skew high, so the resort will be most comfortable for the deep of pocket. But it’s a wonderful place to treat yourself.

Besides, nobody said diplomacy was cheap.

December 2017

11/1/17 5:29 PM

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32nd

BOCA CENTER ON MILITARY TRAIL OPEN MON.-WED. 10-6 • THURS.-SAT. 10-9 561-394-5551 | GROVEOPTICIANS.COM

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CITY WATCH

Storm Notes Planning for hurricane season is everyone’s responsibility

“S M O R E C I TY WAT C H

Randy Schultz, former editorial page editor at the Palm Beach Post and a Boca resident, reports on city, county and statewide issues twice a week at bocamag.com.

Catch his popular “City Watch” blog every Tuesday and Thursday for the latest buzz about Boca and beyond.

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••••

omething just came off Africa.”

Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie made that observation at the end of a late-August interview.

We were discussing Labor Day weekend plans.

Haynie and her husband, Neil, own a condo in Key Largo. It’s their preferred Labor Day retreat.

Haynie, though, wasn’t so sure about getting there. With good reason.

That“something”became Hurricane Irma. On Labor Day, the storm’s track had shifted close enough for concern. Two days later, the track was close enough to start statewide panic.

Fortunately for South Florida, Irma passed over the Lower Keys and Southwest Florida.

Fortunately for the state, the storm also lost some punch over the Everglades. Still, Irma affected almost all of Florida.

For local governments in Florida, hurricanes present the ultimate stress test. Local elected officials discover that while they may have campaigned on issues like development and finance, events can turn them into crisis managers. Just ask County Commissioner Steven Abrams. Three weeks after 9/11, when he was mayor of Boca Raton, a man who worked in the city died of anthrax. Fears

spread that the anthrax was part of a post9/11 plot.

Though cities and counties annually urge residents to make plans before hurricane season, the cities and counties actually must make plans and execute them. Otherwise, they risk compromising their residents’ safety. Powerful winds can find the weaknesses in plans.

Example: Delray Beach believed that the city had a plan to keep the sewage system operating even if power failures became widespread.

Like Boca Raton, Delray Beach rotates generators among lift stations, which move sewage from homes to the treatment plant.

When power failures cascaded, however, Delray Beach found that its 30 generators weren’t enough. If the city hadn’t been able to get 20 more very quickly, sewage could have backed up into homes. Sewage did back up from a manhole in the Rainberry Bay neighborhood. Five days after Irma had passed, Delray Beach still was asking residents to re-

strict the amount of water going down any kind of drain.

Example: As Irma approached, Boca Raton heard from residents who wanted the city to pick up tree branches from trimming. Some were indignant when they heard that there wasn’t a guarantee of removal. A posting on social media sought help removing palm trees two days before Irma hit the Keys.

In the last two years, Boca Raton has prioritized communications, hiring a public information officer and adding staff to raise the city’s online profile. One goal, of course, is to create a favorable image. Another, though, is to get

important information to residents.

Despite that outreach, Boca Raton failed to dissuade people from leaving potential missiles in the form of tree branches. Failing to trim can increase the risk of trees taking down power lines. An uprooted ficus tree—many of those came down during Wilma—cut off water to 25 homes in Carriage Hill.

So Boca Raton plans a tree education campaign next spring.

Other post-Irma issues included the collapse of Florida Power & Light’s supposedly high-tech, pinpoint website for checking repair status.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 206

RUSS TUDOR

Written by RANDY SCHULTZ

December 2017

11/1/17 5:32 PM

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11/6/17 3:13 PM

INTEGRIT Y Decades of community, leadership and loyalty.

Real Life. Real People. Bringing Boca to Boca for 37 years.

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75 #LOVE B

CA

AARON BRISTOL

C E L E B RAT E B O C A > 76 G RA N D R E- O P E N I N G > 77 S I P & S U S H I > 77

Fire-dancing mermaids put on a swimming show at Seven Bridges Clubhouse

September/October 2017

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••••

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#LOVEBOCA

Here at Boca magazine, we love Boca. We love being active in our community, and we love making positive contributions to it. Our events department gives us the opportunity to offer our partners innovative parties and celebrations designed to showcase their businesses and benefit our readers. Take a look at a few recent events below.

Celebrate Boca

1

What: To celebrate the launch of the season in Boca Raton, we honored the town’s major influencers who are featured in this issue. The evening by the water sparkled with cocktails from Tito’s Vodka, yummy bites with desserts by La Nouvelle Maison and The Melting Pot, luxury cars from Excell Auto, a beauty bar by Lord & Taylor, tarot card readings by psychologist and intuitive Yafi Yair, and a raffle by Diamonds by Raymond Lee. Where: Waterstone Resort & Marina

2

3

7

5

AARON BRISTOL

4

1 B oca magazine staff members Lindsay Koolis, Debbie Strand, Portia Smith, Shayna Tanen, Rebecca Valenza, Lorraine Manfre 2 C arly Lupo, Meshella Delgaudil, Jess Lee, Carlos Mass 3 Alice Bawr, Kristina Mak, Yuliya Loginovskaya 4 Desserts by La Nouvelle Maison 5 B oca magazine owners John and Margaret Mary Shuff with Annie and Lou Green 6 Diamonds by Raymond Lee 7 Boca Influencer John Tolbert bocamag.com

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••••

December 2017

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2

1

Grand Re-Opening What: This broker event showcased the grand reopening of the Seven Bridges by GL Homes clubhouse and restaurant. Mermaids swam with fire while a saxophonist cooled the mood.

Endless Champagne by Taittinger complemented this dazzling mixer and networking opportunity.

1 M aby Cuevas, Michael Johnston

4

3 T aittinger provided Champagne for the evening.

6

Where: Seven Bridges Clubhouse

2 L indsey Burkowitz, Dana Levy

5

4 B oca magazine Account Executive Gail Eagle, Karen Evans 5 M ei Yuen-Dinh, Van Nguyen, John Nguyen

7

AARON BRISTOL

6 E lise Berrin, Justin “SexzChef” Desimone 7 June Stubs, Richard Ross

Sip & Sushi What: Guests were treated to sushi from Koume Japanese Restaurant, cocktails, music, Tesla test-drives and tours of the luxurious 101 Via Mizner residences in Boca Raton.

1

2

Where: 101 Via Mizner 1 I t’s called Sip & Sushi for a reason! Guests were treated to a beautiful sushi boat provided by Koume Japanese Restaurant.

2 J ennifer Paulino is flanked by (sexy) Hiro Sake ambassadors.

3 Amy Jo Birkenes and the Hiro Sake Geisha 4 G uests tour the luxury apartments at 101 Via Mizner.

3 4

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Holiday Offer Happy Holidays EurO trAvEl trEAtS iS LOndOn CALLing?

Flo r

azine Ass oci Mag a ida

25+

the [only] boca raton magazine

5

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS UFOS: FACT OR FICTION?

HOW DOES IT FEEL? REAL-LIFE ADVENTURES

BOCAMAG.COM

bocamag.com

BOCAMAG.COM

holiday fashion finds how to sparkle in style

n tio

HIGH-SEASON DINING BOCA’S TOP TABLES

THE NEW SUNDAY SMASH HIT

Boca’s First Families THE BRAVE HEARTS WHO STARTED IT ALL

AW A R D S

THE [ONLY] BOCA RATON MAGAZINE

Brunches We Love

power players in boca — who’s shaping the city?

GREAT FOODIE FINDS DINING NEWS/REVIEWS

Drink in the Bling It’s HIGH-SEASON AND GLAMOUR SparkleGLITZ Season!

+ 50 Things We

Love About Boca

Party bling, drinks & don’t-miss events

how does it feel? to swim with sharks, to drown in slime ... and much more!

Buy One, Give Two for Only $21.95 Give your friends and family the gift that keeps on giving all year long! Don’t wait. Offer ends January 31st.

To receive this offer, please visit bocamag.com and click Holiday 2017 or call 877/553-5363 ext. 233.

Sales tax included. Outside of U.S., add $45 USD postage per year.

Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of first issue.

HOL17

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Great Gifts

Coton Frais at Boca Center

French inspired blanc resort wear, accessories, home décor and gifts.

Be sure to visit Coton Frais, Boca Center’s newest boutique featuring French-inspired clothing, accessories, home décor, gifts and beauty products. Coton Frais, meaning “fresh cotton,” has the perfect gift for you and your home this season. From beautiful fashion jewelry and authentic pearls, or colorful travel bags and scrumptious body products, with adorable baby gifts, Coton Frais is the fashionable choice this holiday.

5250 Town Center Circle, Suite 115, Boca Raton, FL 33486 561/620-5888 | cotonfraisfashion.com

St. Gregory’s Concert Series

Our annual Concert Series brings artists of international fame to Boca Raton, providing outstanding musical performances in the heart of the local community. From jazz artists to contemporary bands to classical performers, our Concert Series offers variety you’ll find nowhere else, thanks to the inspired direction of Tim Brumfield. St. Gregory’s is proud to serve as a cultural hub for downtown Boca and a gathering spot for locals and visitors to enjoy high-quality music.

Tickets are $30 each. They make a wonderful gift. Experiences are the new best type of gifts to give this holiday season.

St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church: 100 NE Mizner Blvd. Boca Raton 561/395-8285 | stgregorysboca.eventbrite.com

Cristino Jewelers

Cristino Jewelers represents leading American and European jewelry designers with the finest craftsmanship of jewelry made in gold, platinum and sterling silver with prices ranging from $50 to $50,000.00, Cristino Jewelers also carries a large selection of diamond engagement rings and diamond anniversary bands. They are in Mizner Park in Boca Raton, for any inquiries, call 561/210-5222.

421 Plaza Real, Boca Raton | 561/210-5222 Featured gifts: Dove design earrings crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds featuring 60.29 carat of rutilated quartz; retail $8,330.00 Dove design pendant crafted in 18-karat yellow gold and diamonds featuring 49.28 carat of rutilated quartz; retail $4,850.00

Special Advertising Section

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Diamonds by Raymond Lee Exquisite Fine Jewelry • Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands • Luxury Timepieces

Diamonds by Raymond Lee embodies the new generation of exquisite fine jewelry and engagement ring shoppers. We are South Florida’s fine jewelry destination where you can experience a modern way of shopping for your diamond and gemstone jewelry along with fine Swiss timepieces. With the largest variety of premium designer jewelry brands, and hand-picked selection of prestigious diamonds, we’re the new generation of jewelers. Perfected!

2801 N. Federal Hwy., Boca Raton, FL 33431 | 561/750-6744 | diamondsbyraymondlee.com Featured gifts: Geometric diamond wide bangle; price: $19,800.00 Diamond pave thick choker necklace; price: $50,490.00

Western Nut

Near downtown Salt Lake City, this unique store has specialized in delicious gourmet nuts and gorgeous handcrafted gifts since 1966. You won’t find quality like this anywhere else.

434 South 300 West, Salt Lake City, UT Featured gift: A colossal gift basket filled with a variety of 20 delicious nut, chocolate and candied items comes wrapped with a gigantic, beautiful holiday-themed bow.

Bright Watches

Bright Watches Jewelers carries the leading brands of watches and clocks, and is sure to have something just right for your timekeeping needs. Whether you require elegance and sophistication or rugged durability that can survive climate extremes, we have a perfect watch or clock for every situation.

4600 Linton Blvd., Suite 16, Delray Beach | 561/403-5337 | BrightWatches.com Featured gifts: Citizen Eco-Drive Watches use the simplest, yet most technically advanced power generating system in the watch industry. A solar conversion panel and energy cell provide power for these quartz watches. Eco-Drive’s ability to use light from any source to generate power means the supply is limitless and free.

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Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum

Boca-centric holiday presents can be found at the Fire Bay Gift Shop in the Boca Raton History Museum.

Old Town Hall, 71 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton Featured gifts: Celebrating 50 years in Boca Raton, IBM’s Anniversary Ornament is a throwback to the very first computer built here in Boca. Visit the Boca History Museum for an incredible IBM in Boca exhibit in December as well! For history buffs, vintage enthusiasts and anyone with a love for Boca Raton, the Fire Bay Jigsaw Puzzle makes the perfect stocking stuffer. Piece by piece, put together a beautiful black and white photo of old Boca.

Elies Fine Jewelry & Designer Consignment

Elies is your one stop for jewelry, designer accessories and unique gifts. We also buy and sell previously enjoyed luxury watches, designer accessories and jewelry.

Regency Court at Woodfield, 3011 Yamato Road A-18, Boca Raton 561/997-2033 | Eliesfinejewelry.net | Like us on Facebook Featured gifts: Van Cleef bracelets, Rolex watch and Cartier Love bracelet Birkin Bag 35

Deborah James

At Deborah James, we put an emphasis on emerging designers and the season’s key trends. Assisting our customers to create their own personal style with fashions from Europe and around the U.S. is our goal. Choose from a beautiful selection of exotic accessories and delicate jewels for your gift giving.

402 Via De Palmas, Boca Raton | 561/367-9600 623 E. Las Olas Blvd., Ft. Lauderdale | 954/524-2585 deborahjames.com Featured gifts: Marsèll Fantasmino Handle Clutch Tat2 Rose Gold Pavé Diamond Nail Bangle

Special Advertising Section

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MEET

AT

COCO WHATEVER YOUR

OCCASION, IT’S

SPECIAL TO US.

PLAN AN EVENT WITH US THIS HOLIDAY SEASON.

CONTACT THE GROUP SALES MANAGER AT 954-977-6700 EXT. 2795 OR COCOGROUPDINING@STOFGAMING.COM. Must be 21 or older to play Slots and Table Games or to receive Seminole Wild Card benefits. Must be 18 or older to play Bingo and Live Poker. See Player’s Club for complete details. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1.888.ADMIT.IT.

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ME

Designer Marla Jaffe of Clive Daniel says this room embodies many of the tips she advises for "wintering" up your house this season (page 84).

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HOME

WINTER DECOR

Holiday Lights

Fixtures to set your home aglow this season Temperatures are dropping in December, but that’s okay. With the addition of style-savvy designer influences, rest assured your home will be warm, cozy and dramatically illuminated this month.

Written by ROBIN HODES

The modern “Monceau” sconce by Fine Art Lamps features a meticulously polished, emeraldcut shade in a rectangular composition, with deep facets on all four sides to truly shimmer like a jewel. $1,181.25, fineartlamps.com

Michael Aram’s handcrafted 13.5-oz. glass “Gold Orchid” soy wax candle emanates an entrancing flicker of light and diffuses a delicate scent comprised of lemon blossom, violet bloom and sandalwood. $60 at Neiman Marcus, Boca Raton, 561/417-5151

The stunning “Beaumont Chandelier” by Waterford, accented by sparkling crystal droplets, golden strands, and beautiful diamond and vertical cuts, radiates a romantic diffusion of light. $2,800, by special order at Bloomingdale’s, Boca Raton, 561/394-2000 Designer Kelly Wearstler is renowned for her distinctive designs and sophisticated soulful vibe. From her eponymous luxury lighting collection comes the striking “Bloque Table Lamp,” which combines brass, bronze and polished nickel to create a lustrous and sculptural work of art. $1,470, kellywearstler.com

Designer’s Expertise Marla Jaffe, director of design at Clive Daniel Home

in Boca Raton, shares six ways to achieve a seasonally updated home.

Exotic florals are always popular, but arrangements in cinnamon, orange and red are appropriate seasonal tones that add just the right amount of punch.

Create a toasty Florida winter vibe by adding richly colored accents to any room.

Dyed leather hides are all the rage. Consider a deep royal blue on a stitch-detailed floor ottoman.

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Experiment with faux fur, such as a throw strewn across a sofa, to add warmth and texture.

Fashion an accent wall with art, a television or a fireplace and make it a focal point, then arrange furniture around it for comfortable enjoyment.

Finish the setting by adding attractive toss pillows, balancing bold patterns with luscious solid textures.

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4 THE HEAT IS ON

Federico Otero, designer and director of Cocoon Fireplaces, has created a stirring innovation in fireplace design. The Aeris model ($2,500) features an ellipse-shaped chamber of carbon steel in a black satin finish for an industrial aesthetic. Suspended by a height-adjustable, 360-degree rotatable pole, the fireplace offers a unique floating effect wherever it is placed. The Cocoon runs on biofuel, making the product clean and environmentally friendly. Aside from being stylish, this working fireplace radiates a lovely, ambient heat for up to six hours. The Aeris is smoke-free, requires no flue and is easily installed. Hibernating at home has never been so chic. For information or to place an order, call 305/773-8648 or visit cocoonfireplaces.com.

LUXURY FOUND !

Fun and fabulous finds to transform your home into a winter wonderland Below, from top: frost gray, plush and long-haired Mongolian faux fur pillow cover, $45.50, potterybarn.com; designer floral purse composed of galax, roses and accents, Petals of Boca, 561/998-3336; rustic decorative log storage boxes reminiscent of stacked firewood, $26.99-$32.99, online only at bedbathandbeyond.com.

HOT HUES FOR COOLER DAYS Benjamin Moore’s Century is a new dimension in paint, formulated specially for high-end designers for whom ordinary is not an option. This small-batch interior paint is designed with an unprecedented depth and richness. Each of the 75 colors in the palette ( “Serpentine”is shown) is brought to life with a groundbreaking Soft Touch Matte finish, offering a tactile experience similar to that of a soft leather glove. Available at select Benjamin Moore retailers or at experiencecentury.com

REASONS TO LIST YOUR HOME IN DECEMBER

LOOKING GOOD Your home is already staged for the holidays and in “show” condition.

And in anticipation of visitors, you’re more inclined to keep it clean!

LESS COMPETITION There are fewer homes on the market during the holidays, which means potential buyers have less to choose from, making yours stand out.

SENSE OF URGENCY Some people might need to relocate to start a job in the new year, while others buy now for tax reasons. Strike while the iron is hot.

TIME AND TOGETHERNESS Since many would-be house hunters take winter vacations, it’s an ideal time to take advantage of their free time, and yours!

December 2017

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86 DECEMBER HOME SALES

6.3%

Lower inventory of homes on the market from December 2015 to December 2016.

52

Days properties stayed on the market in December (down six days from previous year).

1.5% Rise in single-family home sales from prior year.

$234K

Median existing singlefamily home price in December 2016, up 3.8 percent from 2015.

59%

HOME

RESOURCES

Our 5 Fave Home Décor Shopping Sites With these inspiring online destinations, it’s easier than ever to decorate your dream home, click by click.

1. fab.com

More than just a time teller, the bent steel Ribbon Wall Clock by Umbra Studio also functions as eye-catching wall décor. $40

2. jossandmain.com

The lightweight metal Warren floor vases are hand-painted, so no two are exactly the same. Their exteriors blend dark, light and color for a dynamic ombré effect. $118.99

3. highfashionhome.com

The caramel-toned Soho Luxe End Table is a clean design with unique details such as an ash burl veneer, and a decorative opening inlaid with polished stainless steel. $1,199

4. abchome.com

Iconic mid-century modern designer Milo Baughman’s“Drop In”chair, thoughtfully recreated

by Thayer Coggin, brings a strong architectural presence. $2,995

5. tigmitrading.com

RISE ABOVE IT ALL

Tower 155, currently under construction, is soon to be one of the most lavish addresses in downtown Boca Raton. Indulgent amenities, sun-drenched scenery and a masterful blend of tech-savvy features and Art Deco motifs are sure to make this 170-unit, 12-story tower one of the most sought-after dwellings to ever come to town.

This vintage wool Linger Talsint Rug not only boasts a gorgeous palette of soft pink, taupe, cream, teal and purple, but is a handwoven piece of folk art rich in history. The pattern, a network of mini triangles, represents fullness and prosperity in the Moroccan town where it was made. $3,557.65

Home investors who paid cash in December 2016.

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TIMELESS TRANQUILITY IN THE HEART OF EAST BOCA

ELEGANT SPACES YOU’LL WANT TO VISIT. The final resting place of your loved ones should be as beautiful as the time you spent together.

A caring staff of experienced counselors look forward to the opportunity to serve you.

Call today to schedule a tour I look forward to the opportunity to serve you.

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Fritz Miner, Manager

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AARON BRISTOL

THE BIZ Ryan Speier, the visionary behind BriskSale

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PRIME MOVER

Throwing the Kitchen Sink at Cancer A passionate Boca doctor looks beyond chemotherapy and radiation Written by GARY GREENBERG

"Until we find a way to kill the cancer stem cells, along with the nonstem cells, we’re not going to make much headway."

AARON BRISTOL

—Dr. Mark Rosenberg

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he business of cancer treatment is no easy proposition for integrative physicians like Boca Raton’s Dr. Mark Rosenberg.

That’s because, along with conventional treatments, integrative MDs use a variety of “alternative” therapies that may work fine but are not always proven safe and effective in clinical trials. Mainstream doctors often pass them off as something akin to voodoo, and regulatory agencies may even forbid their use.

“We’re really hamstrung in the U.S.,”says Rosenberg, who specializes in tough cancer cases.“Places like Germany and Austria are much better because they can do anything to help a terminal patient.”

Standard treatment of malignant tumors in the U.S. typically includes maximum tolerated doses of chemotherapy. While those drugs may be a multibillion-dollar industry, they appear to be woefully ineffective.

“The harsh reality is that, with all of our technological advances over the past 30 years, standard chemotherapy has increased lifespan for patients with most solid tumors by about two months,”says Rosenberg, medical director of Advanced Medical Therapeutics.

In Rosenberg’s practice, he uses therapies such as intravenous vitamin C, a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, hyperthermia treatments and lowdose metronomic chemotherapy.

“Aggressive cancers are incredibly complex and have developed countless mechanisms to survive,”he says.

“To eradicate them takes multiple modalities.”

And therein lies the problem with conventional treatment, he says.

Maximum tolerance chemotherapy initially wipes out legions of cancer cells, but not cancer stem cells. In fact, Rosenberg adds, the drugs actually stimulate stem cells to replicate, creating cancer cells that are increasingly resistant to the drugs.“Until we find a way to kill the cancer stem cells, along with the non-stem cells, we’re not going to make much headway,” he notes.

Coincidentally, Rosenberg and partners have started their own pharmaceutical company, HighPoint Therapeutics, which has formulated a revolutionary new drug to achieve that goal.

“We developed what we believe to be the first drug to target cancer stem cells and hope to initiate our first human trials in 15 to 18 months,” says Rosenberg.

Of course, it takes a lot of money to run clinical trials. And while Big Pharma has untold millions to invest in studies, funding is more difficult for a startup.

“We’re still doing animal trials and are trying to raise money so we can finish all of our toxicology work and apply to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) for an IND (investigative new drug),”Rosenberg says.

His crusade to cure cancer began 15 years ago when he was assistant director of the emergency department at Bethesda Memorial Hospital in Boynton Beach, and he diagnosed his mother with metastatic lung ››

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BEHIND THE BIZ

›› cancer. In a desperate attempt to save her, Rosenberg exhaustively researched the disease and treatments from around the globe. Sadly, he started too late for his mom. But he hopes, and even expects, to save many others.

“I think my biggest contribution to society

will be to develop exciting drugs that are going to change cancer treatment,” he says.“To some people in the medical establishment, I’m the Antichrist. But for many others, I’m a savior.”

Rosenberg serves as the U.S. program director of the Integrative Cancer Therapy Fellowship.

“We bring in doctors from all over the world to talk about everything credible that works in cancer treatment,”he says.“Rosenberg is also an anti-aging expert and, in his Boca clinic, uses various therapies to battle Father Time. But at this point, the best method doesn’t sound

like much fun.

“The only clinically proven way to slow down aging is through calorie restriction,” says the 57-year-old physician, adding,“I only eat six days a week, 1,000 calories a day, most of which is plant-based.

And I weigh the same I weighed in college.”

Pet Project "We don’t tell people we don’t have something they want. We tell them we’ll find it, order it and have it for them."

— Debbie Broyles

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A furry family business has been helping animals for more than 45 years Written by GARY GREENBERG

W

alking into Fins, Furs ‘n Feathers is like passing through a time warp. You cross a little wooden bridge over a gurgling fish pond, pass the front counter with its “classic” cash registers and into a warren of pet supplies stacked nearly floor to ceiling on wooden shelves.

“A guy comes in here the other day, looks around and asks, ‘How did you make this store look so retro?’” recalls Debbie Broyles, who owns the pet store with her sister, Lisa Holland.

“I told him, ‘We’ve been here since 1978. It doesn’t just look retro.

It is retro.’”

The mom-and-pop shop was actually founded a few doors away in a smaller place

by Debbie and Lisa’s father, Charlie Holland, in 1970. The sisters took over in 1999 when their dad retired and have

managed to withstand competition from both national chains and the internet. The secret, they say, is customer service.

“We don’t tell people we don’t have something they want,” Broyles says. “We tell them we’ll find it, order it and have it for them.”

Adds Holland, “We’re also knowledgeable and educate our staff. So people come here for our expertise.”

More than anything, the shop just has a warm, comfortable aura that makes everyone feel like family—even the critters who often shop with their owners.

“Our customers are the best,” Holland says.

“A lady came in today to show us her new puppies. So I sat on the floor and played with them while she shopped. Everybody feels at home here.

That’s why they keep coming back.”

Sisters Debbie Broyles and Lisa Holland

December 2017

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PERSONNEL PROFILE

The Startup Kids

Two Boca entrepreneurs are slowly crushing their competition Written by ALLISON LEWIS

BRISKSALE BY THE NUMBERS

35

thousand Unique visitors per month

150 thousand Users per month

80

thousand

AARON BRISTOL

Products on BriskSale

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yan Speier says he’s competing with eBay. That’s how he describes BriskSale, an online marketplace that he co-founded a year ago with Zi Lin, a Chinese student he met at St. Andrew’s School in Boca. Unlike affiliate marketing, which involves earning a commission by promoting other companies, BriskSale thrives on crowdsourced marketing.

“Other places have affiliate [marketing] programs, but they were percentage-based,” Speier says.

During a business law class at Fordham University, Speier realized he couldn’t find any online marketplace that allowed individuals to post items for sale without incurring service fees. It was the perfect business angle. With the help of angel investors, he and Lin founded BriskSale. The Boca startup allows people to buy or sell products, sans service fees, in an international market.

“Not having service fees is always going to be part of who we are,” Speier says.

There’s even an opportunity to earn a commission.

“BriskSellers are the users that share our sellers’ products in the hopes of receiving a commission set by the seller,”Speier says.

BriskSale also has a wholesale store component called BriskSale WholeSale.

Another unique part of BriskSale is creating custom Web-based stores that connect directly to the online marketplace. Speier says this is a future priority.

Originally, the duo wanted to wait until after college to take action.

“Boca is our hub, where we come and stay,” Speier says.“I come and spend time with [my parents] and bring BriskSale here, and we work here.”

When Lin’s student visa expired, he returned to China, with half of BriskSale’s operations.

“Now, we’re split between Boca, Manhattan and China,” Speier says.

BriskSale offers about 80,000 items online. Everything is organized by category: fashion, books, home and garden, electronics. Speier says that some of the strangest items in high demand are discontinued Bath & Body Works products.

“People pay a lot of money for discontinued body lotions,”he says. New items are coming in constantly as more people discover BriskSale, and the market grows each month.

“We’re entirely different,” Speier says.“Boca kids that are competing with eBay. That’s kind of crazy.”

Ryan Speier

December 2017

11/6/17 2:27 PM

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ADVERTISEMENT

Why Core Medical is the best… therapy in order to compliment treatment, Dr. Lach continues to operate on patients who can benefit from traditional surgery.

Still, he recognizes that the therapeutic approach that he provides is progressing and bringing his practice into a direction far different from others.

elliot lach

...starts with our clinician.

Dr. Elliot Lach isn’t your typical board certified plastic surgeon.

A graduate of MIT and Yale Medical School, and a physician who has trained at some of the country’s most prestigious hospitals, Dr. Lach discovered that many of the patients coming into his office weren’t always candidates for plastic surgery at all.

What he realized was that some of the symptoms and concerns that patients were asking about were often the result of a hormone imbalance that occurs naturally over time.

Having taken a keen interest in nutrition and studying the impact proper hormone balance can have on an individual’s overall health, Dr. Lach began to offer his patients an alternative.

“We discovered we could care for many more patients and make a better impact on their lives without surgery when their hormones were properly addressed,” he said.

An innovative physician who sees his practice as a calling, Dr. Lach puts an emphasis on listening to his patient’s concerns and finding solutions that meet their needs.

“I’m happy when they’re happy,” he said.

One of a select group of plastic surgeons in the country who integrates hormone replacement

“It certainly is a paradigm shift for a plastic surgeon,” he said.

In teaming up with Sidney Gordon, founder of Core Medical Group and serving as its medical director, Dr. Lach says he can provide patients with treatments that will help them regain some of the vitality they had when they were younger.

“Our patients don’t want to feel like others their age, they want to be optimized,” he said. “A 64-yearold man doesn’t want to feel like

a normal 64-year-old man, he wants to function like a 24- yearold man. There’s a lot of ‘I want what he or she has’ attitude, and it just boils down to knowing how to safely get a patient in the right program.

Dr. Lach, who as medical director for Core Medical Group, has oversight for the care all patients receive, says all treatment protocols are individualized to meet specific needs.

“Everyone is treated uniquely with love and caring,” he said.

“This is not a one-size-fits all approach by any means.”

At Core Medical, each patient undergoes a comprehensive consultation and a physical exam as well as blood tests to help

“I’M HAPPY WHEN THEY’RE HAPPY.” -elliot lach, MD

identify any imbalances and help determine treatment.

“Through hormone replacement therapy we can help assist patients to turn the clock back several years,” Dr. Lach said.

Patients who have come to Core Medical have discovered a variety of benefits including clearer brain function and increased alertness, increased vitality and energy and improved sleeping.

“For some patients aches and pains could be a thing of the past,”

Dr. Lach said.

He said hormone replacement therapy has also been effective in helping patients lose weight and belly fat.

“The goal is to balance your body systems to a more rejuvenated state,” he said.

Dr. Lach, who met Gordon through a mutual connection, says that by working with Core Medical Group he is able to help far more people than he would with just a plastic surgery practice.

“I wasn’t looking to work with anyone actually, but Sid made it clear that there was a need for what we were doing,” he said. “I didn’t realize how big the need really was.”

Dr. Lach says that one thing that separates Core Medical Group from others is Gordon’s commitment to excellence and having a highly trained staff focused on customer service.

“I am working with a passionate and devoted team of individuals and that makes my job as a physician much easier,” he said. “I know that my medical orders are going to be executed efficiently and accurately. That makes for many happy and healthier clients because everyone appreciates the importance of amazing customer service in delivering customized therapies.”

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Andy Sziraki teaches IHPX classes at the Institute of Human Performance in Boca

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IHP trainer Andy Sziraki

IHPX CLASS

Seeing Red

IHPX strengthens clients in 90 days underneath a fiery red glow

"You're dipping yourself into the fire, and in 90 days you're taking yourself from a piece of iron into a sword."

WEB EXTRA: Visit BOCAMAG. COM for an extended version of this story and to watch exercise videos with Andy.

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A

t the Institute of Human Performance (IHP), you’ll find Andy Sziraki tucked away in a red-lit room nicknamed the “Furnace.” Half of the room is stacked with sleek, adjustable benches and state-of-the-art PowerBlock dumbbells, while the opposite side boasts a functional wall with brand-new TRX-like bands for pressing, planking and rowing.

Sziraki, a co-owner of IHP and an IHP-certified personal trainer, is one of the masterminds behind the gym’s newest class: IHPX. This customized, 90-day conditioning program gives individuals the opportunity to experience personal training sessions in a small group setting.

“I found a market for people that wanted to get personal-training-like quality in a group setting,” he says, noting this missing element among competing gyms.

An Ohio native, Sziraki came down to IHP for a college internship and spent six months training Ultimate Fighting Champion Jeff Monson. After graduating, he received a life-changing phone call from IHP. “They’re like, ‘Hey, you want to come back down?’”Sziraki recalls.

He returned and worked at IHP until 2009, then “floated around the industry,”focusing on personal training. In 2012, he opened Slash in Delray. Sziraki eventually returned to IHP, working with fitness pioneer Juan Carlos Santana to build the IHPX program.

“When we designed this program, we looked at every single day, so we’re not overtraining plyometric (power training such as lunges or jump roping) or a certain joint or muscle group,”Sziraki says, adding,“The program is set so that no exercise is too complicated.”

The curriculum is divided into

three parts.“We shape you, then the next 30 days we strengthen you, and then we sharpen your skills on the last 30 days,” he says.

But people can jump into an IHPX class at any time. And that red lighting? It’s based on research and market testing.

“Red softens everything up a bit.

You go into a different world when the lights are dimmed,”Sziraki says.

After 90 days, IHP tests clients for muscular strength, endurance, power and body fat, at no additional cost.“A lot of people look in the mirror every day and they’re like, ‘I don’t see it yet,’” he says.

“It’s on paper. Look at the progress you’re making. You’re dipping yourself into the fire, and in 90 days you’re taking yourself from a piece of iron into a sword.”

The 45-minute class launched Oct. 1, and classes run as low as $10. For more information on IHPX or IHP, call 561/620-9556.

AARON BRISTOL

Written by ALLISON LEWIS

December 2017

11/6/17 2:46 PM

World Class

Orthopedic Care Now in Boca Raton!

Jason Weisstein, MD, MPH, FACS Hip and Knee Preservation and Replacement

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Dr. Weisstein not only employs the newest procedures such as minimally invasive direct anterior hip replacement and custom fit knee replacement, but also teaches other surgeons how to utilize these state-of-the-art techniques.

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Office in Boca Raton – 6853 SW 18th St., Suite M111

Call 561.844.5255 for a Consultation Today!

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100

SECTION

113 million

visits were made to Florida in 2016.

90%

of travel to Florida is for leisure rather than work.

The

highest occupancy rate in Florida in 2015 took place in March; the lowest in September.

Source: Visit Florida

SUBSECTION

On the Fly

One Boca travel agent shares advice for stress-free holiday travel Written by ALLISON LEWIS

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f you’re like many of the 103 million Americans that AAA reported traveling last year, getting to your final destination can be stressful. But traveling during the holidays doesn’t have to be a chore. Kim Floyd of Boca Raton Travel & Cruises shares her best tips to travel stress-free this holiday season.

TRAVEL DURING EARLY MORNING OR LATE NIGHT HOURS.

Although catching a flight at noon sounds way more relaxing than catching the early bird at 4 a.m., try to book flights early morning or late at night, especially during the holidays.“You’re going to miss that rush,” Floyd says.

AVOID SUNDAY TRAVEL IF POSSIBLE.

Floyd says that Sundays are incredibly busy travel days.“If you’re talking about holiday travel with Christmas and New Year’s, it’s always best to avoid that Sunday, because everybody is

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going to try to fly home in time to go to work the next day on Monday,” she says. If traveling on a busy day is unavoidable, consider using a smaller, domestic airport.“It’s going to have fewer flights, fewer delays,” Floyd says.

“FAST TRACK” THE AIRPORT EXPERIENCE.

Floyd says there are several easy hacks travelers can use to streamline their experience. First, download the app of the airline you’ll be flying, so that you’ll be alerted of flight delays or gate changes and have digital copies of boarding passes, she says. Passengers should consider TSA Precheck, too.

“The TSA Precheck is valid for five years, so it’s worth it if you feel like you’re going to be traveling at least once a year,” Floyd says. Some airlines also give passengers the opportunity to pay a fee to have a priority lane through security.

Without Precheck, she recommends allowing at

least three hours to get through security lines during holiday travel season.

Another suggestion Floyd makes to clients is upgrading seats, which makes catching connecting flights easier.

“If they’re in economy, upgrading to a seat at the front of the cabin will help expedite that connection,” she says.

PREPARE GIFTS AHEAD OF TIME.

“We now live in the wonderful world of Amazon Prime,” Floyd says.

If possible, ship gifts to their final destination rather than taking them with you. If that’s not an option, she says commuters should leave gifts unwrapped or put them in gift bags, to make security inspections simpler.

Lastly, Floyd says that having a positive attitude and being flexible are really important during holiday travel.

Follow these guidelines, and enjoy the journey this holiday season.

ABOUT KIM Kim Floyd has been in the travel industry for 24 years, starting as a tour operator in 1993.

“I was encouraged by my mother and grandmother to travel, and once I dipped my toe in the travel water, I got the travel bug, and it’s been with me ever since,” she says.

Floyd has plenty of experience helping clients plan holiday travel; skiing and tropical destinations remain popular vacation spots.

Boca Raton Travel 225 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 561/395-1414

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FEEL GOOD

SPA REVIEW

Hidden Holiday Escape Restore body and mind at Thermae Retreat in Delray Beach Written by ALLISON LEWIS

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CONTACT

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f you’re looking for a place to rest, rejuvenate and disappear in plain sight, book a treatment (or day retreat!) at the new Thermae Retreat location in Delray Beach. Soft rugs, plush seating, a quiet meditation room and natural surroundings make Thermae an ideal place to focus on personal wellness without traveling far from home.

After entering, you’ll be provided with a pair of comfy slippers to wear throughout your stay, along with a plush gray robe. Once changed, start the day in the Finnish sauna. Experience a traditional “aufguss”: eucalyptus, birch and orange oils are poured over hot black coals, and an instant warm feeling tingles down the spine. As vapors permeate the humid room, sweat increases and skin begins to detox. Fifteen to 20 minutes are the best prelude to a massage treatment; it is also a great treatment for clients who have blocked nasal

passages, according to Thermae’s marketing director, Ashley Kehoe.

Next, opt for a hot stone massage treatment. The warm basalt stones sliding down the neck are enough to cause an instant sleep coma. They relieve tension, bring more oxygen to the body and increase blood flow.

My therapist, Andy, did an excellent job making me feel comfortable and treating trouble spots.

Head back to the sauna room to try an infrared sauna treatment.

Unlike Finnish saunas, an infrared sauna operates at a lower temperature and warms the body from the inside out. Each infrared sauna at Thermae has a button that changes the color of the light within the room: blue, red, yellow, purple. The colors correlate to a specific mood, and Ashley suggests using whatever color draws you in on a particular visit. Thirty minutes of dry heat is enough to detox and calm the mind. If the saunas are still calling to you, ask about a Thermae

Retreat sauna membership.

Finish the day with a custom organic facial. An esthetician reviews a client’s health history and notes any allergies, skin-related problems or trouble spots. She creates a regimen of masks, toners, cleansers, steam and exfoliation to stimulate the senses and improve skin over the course of an hour.

I really enjoyed the warm steam and cool mask treatments. There’s some facial and scalp massage, too, which helps you forget the world outside. It’s the perfect prelude to the busy holiday season.

Take your time before and after treatments to enjoy a cup of tea on the patio or experience the move room for light fitness. Thermae’s mission to relax and heal works its magic when clients focus on themselves. You’ll leave Thermae feeling renewed in body, mind and spirit, almost like you were in another world—without leaving Delray Beach.

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THE BOCA INTERVIEW

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Jimmy

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Connors After conquering tennis globally, the fiery left-hander continues to make a racket on the courts of the Boca Resort

In February 1975, Jimmy Connors won the Boca West International Tennis Tournament, an event to promote the nascent community. Connors stayed at the Boca Raton Resort & Club during the tournament.

Four decades later, the resort is Connors’ home when he’s not in California. He spends several weeks during the season conducting three-day fantasy camps, which feature up to 10 hours of tennis, and one-on-one sessions for resort members and guests. Director of Tennis Erik Silver says Connors “gives 110 percent” to the camps,“from the tennis to the dinners.”

That’s no surprise. In winning eight Grand Slam championships, Connors left nothing on the court. He broke the tennis china by fuming, prancing and swearing during matches. Fresh off his 65th birthday, Connors spoke with Boca Raton about life now and then.

How did your relationship with the resort start?

I’ve been friends with Erik for a long time. I would come five or six times a year and play tennis and golf with my buddies.

I said to Erik, ‘I’m just looking for a base.’ Erik said, ‘Why not

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here?’ I would say it’s an informal formal relationship. I wish they would make it formal and get it out that I am here.

Do you teach?

Sure. That’s not my main thing, but I would love to find some 13- or 14-year-old willing to listen and walk through a brick wall for you and make them the next U.S. champion.

Why is there such a shortage of good American tennis players?

We don’t have enough time to talk about that. We’re getting kids late, after baseball, basketball, soccer. It doesn’t work that way.

I did other things, but the circle always came back to tennis. I started at 2 or 3. My mom taught me. I was dragging a racket, picking up balls. There wasn’t any money in the game—maybe get a college education. But my mother told me that if you have a tennis racket, you can go anywhere in the world and be accepted.

As I got older, things started to change. Open tennis came in; hey, maybe I can earn a living. Then I came up with a group of guys that exploded the game—all different guys, not afraid to say things or do things differently.

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"I had to find a reason to play.

Being angry was one of them. And I got criticized for that. But was I out there to win a popularity contest, or was I out there to win tennis matches?”

— Jimmy Connors

THE BOCA INTERVIEW

The resort is very establishment. You were anything but.

If we had all been establishment, where would the game have been? We always had the tennis purists and elitists to come. We were looking also for a different crowd. The football fans. The basketball fans. The baseball fans.

Hockey fans. We were looking for the plumbers, the electricians, the blue-collar workers.

We had the one crowd, to fill 2,500 seats. I wanted to fill 25,000 seats. So what was it going to take to do that? We were competing against Muhammad Ali for space in the paper. People started hooking on. Then this thing called television started being a part of it. It was crazy.

airport. Whenever I was in trouble in a match, I always had one goto that always kind of fueled me. I was criticized. But I’ll take that.

Did a lot of that come from your mother?

She had a love for the game that I only saw from one other guy—Pancho Segura (who became Connors’ coach). Was she angry?

No. But she was no half-asser.

Did she teach you skills more or drive more?

Yes. (Laughs.) She taught me a woman’s game to beat men. I have a no-frills game. No excess

motion. I play it like a crazy man, but I have a very simple game.

Do you remember a moment when the skill and the persona came together?

It was kind of a gentle transition. I was the anti. And I was a good anti.

I liked that.You asked about my reason for wanting to win. If the crowd was for me, if the crowd was against me … either way, it was fine. If you’re against me, at least you’re giving a reason to come and be a part of it. Did I sometimes take it a little too far? I did. But what the hell? It’s all part of it.

How much of a factor was (Connors’ manager and tournament promoter) Bill Riordan?

Oh, man. He gave me my image.

Huge. Huge. My mom and grandma liked Bill. He was a promoter’s promoter. He took my image to another level. And, by the way, I liked it. It fit.

So Bill Riordan developed “spontaneous assholery?”

(That’s how Connors described his outbursts, some of which came in that Boca West tournament.)

He allowed me to do that. He wasn’t afraid to bring it out in me.

Where did the anger come from?

I probably, over the course of my career, found 5,000 reasons to be pissed off. It could have happened on the way to the match. It could have happened on the way to the

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© ARNE FORSELL/BILDBYRAN VIA ZUMA WIRE

How much of that was anger?

A lot of times, I had to find a reason to play. Being angry was one of them. And I got criticized for that. But was I out there to win a popularity contest, or was I out there to win tennis matches?

Connors competing in Paris in 1991

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THE JIMMY CONNORS EXPERIENCE

Vintage Connors ca. 1974

You had to overcome a lot of problems. (He has obsessive-compulsive disorder and would bounce the ball more than a dozen times before serving.) How much did that play in?

Well, I didn’t even know what that was back then. I eventually worked (the bouncing) down to four. Because it was wearing me out. My kids even today tease me: ‘Dad, did you lock the doors?’ If I let it, it still wears me out. I didn’t go for therapy. I’m my own good therapist. I’ve got the best therapy right here. (Gestures to the resort grounds.) I’m telling you.

Is there a big loss you regret more than others?

I’ve revenged all of them. That’s the key. And they revenged them back on me.

Do you see some of your personality in Serena Williams?

She’s showing passion. You can’t

not show what you love to do. You can’t walk around nonchalant, like it doesn’t matter. That’s what I like about (Rafael) Nadal. He plays like he’s broke.

You said you enjoyed not being liked. Was there a point when you wanted to be more liked?

Not conspicuously. I had a controversy at the U.S. Open in 1977. (In the semifinals, he erased a ball mark before the umpire could rule on a call. In the finals, after a call went against him on match point, he left the stadium before the trophy ceremony.) And then in [January] 1978 I won the Grand Prix Masters (also in New York).

And I built up some momentum, and I ended up winning the [U.S.] Open in ’78, and I just said, I like you. I play my best tennis when I come to New York.

From then on, that crowd was my sixth man. They won me a few more matches than I should have won.

You didn’t win the U.S. Open in 1991, but you made the semifinals at nearly age 40 by beating Aaron Krickstein in the quarterfinals. What are your memories?

Noise like I never heard. That gave me what I was looking for in tennis. It gave me 20,000 people sounding like 60,000.

Let’s talk about your biggest rival: John McEnroe.

We did the battles on the court and had some great ones and enjoyed it. Some guys like to continue feeling that they’re still out there playing Wimbledon. I’m not one of them. I had my day and enjoyed it. Time has gone on for me.

Now, is there still some sensitivity there? Probably. He has his friends, I have my friends, but it’s not like we’re not gonna walk across the street to see each other.

Not every resort can offer a Grand Slam-winning resident tennis professional to its guests— and no other resort can claim Jimmy Connors as its tennis pro-in-chief. At the Boca Raton Resort & Club during season, visitors and members can purchase The Jimmy Connors Experience, granting them unprecedented access to the tennis legend.

Available for full or half-days, the Experience can include a 90-minute clinic with Connors and resort pros followed by a 90-minute Q&A session; a golf outing; or a motivational speaking engagement for group events. Each of these programs includes a photo opportunity and autograph session.

For more information, call 561/4475461 or email erik. silver@waldorfastoria.com.

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THE BOCA INTERVIEW

But you were good for each other?

Oh, yeah. For me it was important to have rivalries. But Mac was different. He was coming up when I had everything he wanted. I was the best in the States. I was the best in the world. He’s left-handed, I’m left-handed. He’s Irish, I’m Irish. But the thing we had in common was the attitude. You would never see me or Mac hug each other after a match. I don’t think there was anybody I wanted to beat more than him. And I wanted to beat everybody.

How long did it take for you to lose that after you stopped playing?

I don’t think you ever lose that.

There’s no replacing what I did.

Nothing could replace walking out on a tennis court in front of 25,000 live, hundreds of millions on TV, and putting my game, my reputation and what I am on the line. It’s boxing at 90 feet.

You mentioned your mother, your grandmother and Bill Riordan. Who else helped you?

Pancho Segura. My mom sent me to him [in Los Angeles] when I was almost 16. She had given me the game. The one thing I was missing was that male influence.

He taught me life. How to be a tennis pro.

And everybody came through California back then to play tennis. I could play two, three weeks out there straight and never play the same guy twice. We spent all our time talking about tennis.

Kids today, they have a lesson

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© ARNE FORSELL/BILDBYRAN VIA ZUMA WIRE

"I was Irish. Mac was Irish. But the thing we had in common was the attitude. You would never see me or Mac hug each other after a match. I don’t think there was anybody I wanted to beat more than him. And I wanted to beat everybody.”

Connors at the Davis Cup back in the day

at 3 and they’re done by 4. We’d get to the courts at 8:30, hang around, and we’d be driving home after dark.

When I quit, it was time for me to go. I never had any what-ifs.

That sounds like what Bruce Springsteen described in his autobiography. It was total immersion in music.

Same with Elton John. Billy Joel.

There’s a reason these guys are still popular.

These days, a machine decides the close calls, not the umpire. What do you think about that change?

You can see how close those calls are. So you wonder why we argued? All I’m trying to do is fight for my rights. Even if it didn’t work the first time, it might work another time.

Too bad you can’t play tennis until you’re 65.

That’s why you got to get the most of it when you’re doing it.

And if that technology had been around in your day?

(Laughs.) I probably wouldn’t have played.

December 2017

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The Infl u From left: Marilynn Wick, Mark Guzzetta, John Kelly, Lowell and Jay Van Vechten, John Tolbert, Dan Cane, Al Zucaro, Barbara Schmidt, Angelo Bianco, John Crean

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uencers Meet 13 people who are changing the culture of Boca Raton

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Written by RANDY SCHULTZ Photography by MICHAEL PRICE

Every community has its powerful people, its philanthropists, its do-gooders, its champions and its naysayers. Every community also has a small number of people emerging as agents of change, individuals who are trying new things or forging an agenda, seeking to transform and reimagine the status quo.

Here is Boca magazine’s roster of people stirring things up in our community—our 2017-2018 influencers. —Editor

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112 John Tolbert

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THE PROMOTER

ohn Tolbert grew up on a dairy farm in rural Maryland. It’s not the launch pad one would suspect for the president of the Boca Raton Resort & Club. But Tolbert began working in a restaurant when he was 12, found himself running the desk at a Marriott hotel when he was in college and cut his teeth after graduation as a Hyatt sales manager. For the last two years, he’s been running the 350-acre resort, which opened in 1926 and was Boca Raton before there wasn’t much else to Boca Raton.

Having worked at the resort in 1995, Tolbert notes how changes over the last two decades affect his job.

Boca Raton has become more of a year-round city with more families.“Our membership,” he says,“is here 12 months a year.”The offerings must be more varied. The challenge? “How do we introduce new experiences?”

The city and the area help. Tolbert notes the many cultural attractions. He praises the local“psychographics,” which document a population’s attitudes and aspirations, not just demographic statistics.“This is the most vibrant community in the country,”Tolbert says. He wants to help dispel any remaining stereotype of the city as“Del Boca Vista” from Jerry Seinfeld’s show.

As Tolbert describes it, he’s in charge of a “village” with 1,053 rooms, 13 restaurants and lounges, two golf courses, all the other upscale amenities and 100 private homes. Roughly 1,800“team members,” as Tolbert calls the employees, operate the village.

The resort, though, is not a village unto itself. Its Boca Care program delivers food. Meals go to Boca Helping Hands at Thanksgiving. The annual Boca Ballroom Battle raises money for charities. In 2016, the resort hosted the annual convention of American travel agents, which helped to promote Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. Tolbert hopes that the resort can work with new hotels like the Hyatt Place to draw more conventions.

Tolbert proudly notes that the resort remained open throughout Hurricane Irma. He hopes to give it even more staying power.

“Our membership is here 12 months a year. The challenge?

How do we introduce new experiences?”—John Tolbert

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John Crean

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THE GREEN MAN ohn Crean was excited about an in-vessel digester.

Huh? Crean is general manager of Boca Raton’s Broken Sound Club. Shouldn’t he worry only about tee times and whether the dining room has enough Bordeaux?

At other clubs, perhaps. Since Crean arrived in 2003, however, Broken Sound has become the gated community that thinks outside the gate, especially on environmental issues.

Broken Sound has 27 beehives that produce honey under the club’s label. The hives help to stave off aggressive African honeybees. Broken Sound has 17 bat houses. Bats eat mosquitoes, which reduces the risk of Zika. Broken Sound got on board early with the city’s plan to use reclaimed water for irrigation of the club’s two golf courses. Abundant wildlife, Crean says, makes the Old Course “like a little zoo.”He solved a parking deficit in part by using solar power.

Which brings us back to the in-vessel digester. The device processes food waste into compost, which Bro-

ken Sound can use throughout the grounds.

Obviously, Crean pays attention to the usual amenities for Broken Sound’s roughly 3,300 residents. The total swells to about 5,000 during the season. Broken Sound remains one of the nation’s finest clubs and a regular venue for private events.

Few such clubs, however, engage so much with their civic home. Broken Sound’s two precincts regularly have some of the highest turnouts in municipal elections. The members annually give up use of the Old Course for the Senior PGA Tour, which helps to promote Boca Raton.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital has a facility at the club.

Though Broken Sound’s members deserve credit, Crean has become the catalyst.“I think there’s been more and more confidence in my ability to pull this off,”he says.“It’s certainly not the typical job description, and I’m not afraid to give my opinion.”

Crean, who recently turned 50, won’t say if this is his last job. But he enjoys Broken Sound’s “ability to have a footprint on the environment.”Who knows what will come after the in-vessel digester?

"I think there’s been more and more confidence in my ability to pull this off. It’s certainly not the typical job description, and I’m not afraid to give my opinion.”

—JOHN CREAN

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114 Marilynn Wick

W

THE IMPRESARIO

ith Boca Raton having tried for more than a decade to revitalize the North Federal Highway corridor, a certain property near the Delray Beach border became a problem in 2013.

The Caldwell Theatre, which had been operating since 1975, went bankrupt. City officials who long ago envisioned the Caldwell as part of a culture hub at Mizner Park had hoped that the theater would further stabilize an area that had gotten a boost from the Broadstone apartment complex.

Enter Marilynn Wick, owner of Costume World.

She had housed her extensive Broadway costume collection in Pompano Beach but was looking for another location. So Wick began leasing the Caldwell space to showcase the costumes and produce theatre. Wick and one of her daughters struck a deal in April 2016 for her company to buy the 1.5acre, 30,000-square-foot property for $5.2 million.

Otherwise, it might have been auctioned off.

Another Wick daughter serves as general manager. To keep everything running, The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum offers a menu of services. You can attend the productions that run from the fall through the spring. You can get a tour of the costumes. You can rent the costumes.

You can eat at the Tavern restaurant. In September, the Wick held High Holy Days services. And, of course, Wick still runs Costume World itself.

When she bought the theater last year, Wick noted that her family has lived in Boca Raton since 1972. She called the eponymous theater“a family affair, and now it will go on for generations, and my grandchildren will be involved. It’s a wonderful gift to the community.”

“The Wick is a family affair, and now it will go on for generations, and my grandchildren will be involved.

It’s a wonderful gift to the community.”—Marilynn Wick

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John Kelly

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THE STRATEGIST

early four years ago, John Kelly came to Boca Raton pushing to change the conversation about Florida Atlantic University. He’s still pushing.

Even before Kelly became president, FAU had wanted to improve the school’s reputation. FAU touted its relationship with biotech thoroughbreds Scripps Florida and the Max Planck Florida Institute on the Jupiter campus and the medical school. Though it is rarely filled and remains unnamed, the football stadium drew ESPN to create the Boca Raton Bowl.

Still, the core of any university is its undergraduate student body. In this area, FAU had lagged before Kelly. It was seen as the default choice for students in Palm Beach and Broward counties who couldn’t get into the University of Florida or Florida State University, needed to live at home to save money or had to attend part-time while working.

Kelly got the job in large part by promising to recruit better students and push them harder. Think of what legendary University of Alabama football coach

Bear Bryant told his players: Be good or be gone.

According to the most recent report FAU sent to the Board of Governors, which oversees the university system, only 12 percent of traditional freshmen— aiming for a bachelor’s degree—had been in the top 10 percent of their high school class when Kelly arrived. This year, it’s 17 percent. The goal for the fall of 2020 is 32 percent.

Pre-Kelly, only about 70 percent of sophomores had at least a 2.0 grade point average. The goal for 2019-20 is 90 percent, though the six-year graduation rate remains tough to push way up. It’s projected at 55 percent for students who enrolled in 2014, compared to 49.2 percent for the 2010 freshman class.

Yet Kelly stays bullish. FAU told the Board of Governors that it wants to keep“building on our robust ethnic diversity to become a geographically diverse institution that promotes engagement of world views beyond the tri-county Southeast Florida region.”

Within Boca Raton, he wants FAU to feel more like FSU, with a student district. His success would be Boca Raton’s success.

"FAU wants to keep building on our robust ethnic diversity to become a geographically diverse institution that promotes engagement of world views beyond the tri-county Southeast Florida region.”

December 2017

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—John Kelly

••••

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116 Barbara Schmidt

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THE PEACEMAKER

arb Schmidt could have stopped after founding the Spirit of Giving Network in Boca Raton. Apparently, however, she was just getting started.

In 2011, Schmidt started Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life. She had“laid the groundwork” through her time with the Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative at Florida Atlantic University, and the idea arose as she came out of a meditation session.

Then Schmidt had a dream that she had brokered peace between the Dalai Lama and Mao Zedong.

“I just had to share this” in the form of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life, Schmidt says.“I see it truly as a movement.”

The organization’s mission is “furthering inner peace and wellness by educating and inspiring individuals and creating community through mindfulness practices, online resources and programs.” Such language can make one wonder about the practical application for individuals.

Schmidt understands. As a test case, she offers her husband, Richard Schmidt. They serve on the board of the Schmidt Family Foundation. The program, Barb says, gave Richard “clarity to think even better, not to just have his mind keep running and running.”

The reach of Peaceful Mind Peaceful Life through its many resources is impressive. Schmidt says an item on co-dependency was shared 10 million times.

That topic can apply to families in which someone is dealing with addiction and the difficulty of tension among relatives at annual gatherings.

Not surprisingly, after Hurricane Irma Schmidt noted an increase in fearfulness.“People were asking, ‘What if I can’t live here anymore?’ People fear a loss of control.”

To which Schmidt responds,“We have zero control of everything, but we have 100-percent control over how we can respond.”She speaks from 33 years of experience, having started meditation in 1984 as a treatment for bulimia.

Schmidt worked for nearly three decades in the go-go corporate world of McDonald’s. She owned six franchises. Today, she’s a vegetarian who counsels even those on the executive fast track to be successful and happy by slowing down and opening their minds to new ideas.“People are so hard on themselves,” Schmidt says,“but nobody has to be a victim.”

“We have zero control of everything, but we have 100-percent control over how we can respond.”—Barbara Schmidt bocamag.com

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117

Angelo Bianco

T

THE NEXT-GENERATION NEW URBANIST

hree decades ago, Tom Crocker developed what would become Boca Raton’s Midtown district. Crocker now wants to redevelop Midtown.

Leading that effort is Angelo Bianco, managing partner of Crocker Partners. In late 2014, the company invested $350 million in four Midtown properties: One Boca Place, One Town Center, The Plaza and Boca Center. The last three were repurchases. Crocker built them.

Redevelopment wouldn’t mean just dressing up the properties, though Bianco acknowledges that some show their age. Redevelopment would mean adding residential development and creating a minicity for Midtown residents and a downtown-like destination for those who live nearby in the northwest neighborhoods.

Current rules don’t allow residential projects, because the rules remain from when Midtown was part of Palm Beach County. Boca Raton annexed the area—bounded roughly by Town Center mall, Boca Center and Glades Road—in 2003. In 2009, the city designated Midtown for Planned Mobility Develop-

ment, but the city has yet to approve the new zoning.

As of deadline for this article, the city still hadn’t acted, though the proposals have kicked around for months. Crocker and the three other major property owners want permission to build as many as 2,500 residential units, plus new retail and entertainment.

Bianco, who grew up in Barrington, R.I., got to Boca Raton via George Washington University, the University of Virginia law school and a job in Palm Beach that didn’t work out. Through the job, however, Bianco met Crocker, who hired him in 2001.

Responding to critics, Bianco compares Midtown to a house that remains nice after 30 years but needs work. The property owners want to exploit the new trend of suburban-urban living that aligns with new downtowns in coastal South Florida.

Bianco would redevelop Midtown using lessons from Mizner Park, which Crocker also developed. Example: Don’t repeat the mistake of putting parking on major roads, as Mizner Park did on Federal Highway.

For all the opposition to Mizner Park, few in Boca Raton could imagine the city without it. Bianco hopes for the same result with Midtown.

The major property owners [of Midtown] want permission to build as many as 2,500 residential units, plus new retail and entertainment.

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118 Dan Cane

W

JASON NUTTLE

THE WUNDERKIND hen it comes to Boca Raton, Dan Cane finally is all in.

Cane started Modernizing Medicine in Boynton Beach, having moved from Washington, D.C., where he had founded the educational software company Blackboard. Cane and his family lived in West Boynton.

Though Cane moved Modernizing Medicine to Boca in 2012, he didn’t move himself. As of last summer, however, Cane became a Boca Raton resident.

His three children attend A.D. Henderson School at Florida Atlantic University, about five minutes from Modernizing Medicine’s headquarters.

Though the electronic health records firm had been growing and attracting attention, Modernizing Medicine’s profile got much higher this year. In May, Warburg Pincus, the world’s third-largest private equity company, invested $231 million in Modernizing Medicine. Two months later, the company announced plans to add 838 jobs in five years and move to a larger headquarters.

Boca Raton officials want to showcase Modernizing Medicine and thus draw more entrepreneurs.

Cane is happy to promote the city.

Companies generally have two priorities: the schools and the workforce.“Boca Raton’s public and private schools are excellent,”Cane says. As for hiring,“We have a talent pool within walking distance,”meaning FAU, Lynn University and Palm Beach State. One recent afternoon, the office had a 21st-birthday party for a new hire who had just graduated from Lynn.

“Our target is the top two or three percent” of a college class, Cane says.“There are a lot of bright people in this area.”One of his first hires, from FAU, is now a vice-president. A spokeswoman said 90 percent of Modernizing Medicine’s hires for Boca Raton are local. The company also has offices in Weston and California, acquired through acquisition.

As someone who runs a “health-conscious organization,” Cane likes that the Boca Raton lifestyle aligns with the company’s image, down to the kind of catering Modernizing Medicine can order.

Though Cane grew up in—and loved—Lake Worth, his hometown has become Boca Raton, and he’s shaping the city’s future.

“Our target is the top two, three percent [of a college class].

There are a lot of bright people in this area.”—Dan Cane bocamag.com

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119 Jay and Lowell Van Vechten

B

THE ADVOCATES

oca Raton’s most heart-rending annual event got that way in spite of the city.

For the first three years after Lowell and Jay Van Vechten started the Boating & Beach Bash for People With Disabilities, the city ran it. Then, Jay Van Vechten recalls, City Manager Leif Ahnell “called me in”to say that the bash had become“too labor-intensive.” So the Van Vechtens took it over. The bash will celebrate its 10th anniversary March 4 at Spanish River Park.

Just the numbers make an impressive story. The bash has grown from 350 participants the first year to roughly 5,000. Between 400 and 500 volunteers help pull it off. Boats from Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, where the Van Vechtens once lived, ferry participants relentlessly and efficiently.“We couldn’t do it without their support,”Lowell Van Vechten says. The Van Vechtens choose the date to coincide with favorable tides.

Numbers alone, though, can’t explain why the bash means so much to those who come. Numbers can’t explain the feeling of a disabled child who can reach the beach on mobility mats and then use an inflatable device to savor the simple joy of bobbing on the waves.“We see people crying all the time,” Jay Van Vechten says.

Jay is disabled himself, from a fall in a hotel bathroom. Lowell’s brother has suffered from “neurological damage”most of his life. They get it.

When we spoke last August in their Boca Square home, they were starting the six months of work the bash takes.

New attendees, Lowell says,“are amazed by the scope of it.”Nearly 50 exhibitors offer disabled-related services. Companies from Cheney Brothers to McDonald’s supply food, with leftovers going to Boca Helping Hands. The DJs are in wheelchairs.

The superheroes are in substance abuse recovery.

And the city does not charge for its services.

Even as they worry who will take over the bash, the Van Vechtens would like to see it replicated in other cities. For now, however, Boca Raton will be grateful for what Lowell and Jay have accomplished here.

PEOPLE TO WATCH

PETER GARY, the founder and CEO of Boca Raton-based Pinnacle Advertising and Marketing Group, said he tried to post a comment on BocaWatch last year during a debate over the Wildflower property, but he got blocked.

So Gary started his own website, Boca Voice, with its own interviews, videos and news. Like ForBoca, it has a tone of civic boosterism. Unlike ForBoca, it’s less confrontational. Gary also wants to let the comments flow,

unlike BocaWatch, “even if they take a shot at me.”

A Marine who has lived in Boca Raton for 30 years and participated in many community events, Gary doesn’t want to run for office.

Though his agency has donated to candidates, Gary says that will stop, to avoid conflict with Boca Voice. “I want to provide an open forum.”

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120 Al Zucaro and Mark Guzzetta

A

THE ODD COUPLE

Zucaro may have lost his own race for mayor last March, but he hasn’t stopped campaigning. And it’s a good bet that whoever Zucaro backs, Guzzetta will be on the other side.

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l Zucaro moved to Boca Raton in 2009. A widower, he had married the recently widowed philanthropist Yvonne Boice. Zucaro had been a city commissioner in West Palm Beach and had run unsuccessfully for the county commission, so politics was old stuff even if Boca Raton was new territory.

Foreshadowing his adversarial relationship with Mark Guzzetta, Zucaro started the BocaWatch website to oppose Guzzetta’s Archstone project on the south side of the anti-development Golden Triangle neighborhood. Zucaro also created a BocaWatch political action committee.

Though he lost on Archstone, Zucaro and BocaWatch quickly captured a faction in Boca Raton that questioned the city’s rapid growth downtown, jumping into the campaign for the November 2016 ordinance that prevented the city from leasing the Wildflower property for a restaurant.

Unlike Guzzetta’s ForBoca website, BocaWatch positions itself as a news organization. Essentially, BocaWatch is the online version of Citizens for Responsible Growth, which historically went up against the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce in city elections.

Zucaro does more than criticize. He has filed ethics complaints (none have been upheld) against a city council member, the deputy city manager and a member of the Boca Raton Airport Authority Board.

If ForBoca uses hyperbole from one side, Zucaro and BocaWatch use it from the other. Zucaro has called Guzzetta a “political influencer extraordinaire.”

To some, however, Zucaro and BocaWatch speak for those in Boca Raton who don’t like how the city has grown, and his influence is robust. One of Zucaro’s proponents, Andrea O’Rourke, even made it onto the Boca Raton city council this year. Zucaro may have lost his own race for mayor last March, but he hasn’t stopped campaigning.

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PEOPLE TO WATCH CONT.

M

ark Guzzetta came to Boca Raton in 1979 looking to make deals and be a player. He has done both. Though his biggest deals were controversial, they have shaped and will shape the city.

Guzzetta and four partners bought the roughly 550-acre former IBM headquarters in 1997 for $48 million. They envisioned the Blue Lake Corporate Center.

Though the city council approved the project in 2000, the partners could not secure the road-building exemption they had sought. That year, Blue Lake sold the project, reportedly tripling the partners’ investment. Shortly afterward, the city bought 310 acres of the property for $45 million. That land is now home to De Hoernle Park and the Spanish River Library.

In 2012, Guzzetta secured council approval of Archstone, the 378-unit downtown rental project that now goes by its original name of Palmetto Promenade. Opponents unsuccessfully tried to force a referendum on the project.

Though Guzzetta was Jeb Bush’s finance chairman

when Bush ran for governor and raised money for George W. Bush, his political focus is now mostly local.

In response to the anti-development website BocaWatch, Guzzetta helped to start ForBoca. Its mission, Guzzetta says, is“to protect private property rights.”

With the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce less assertive in city politics, ForBoca fills some of that role. Last March, money from ForBoca financed mailers attacking BocaWatch Publisher Al Zucaro, who was running against Mayor Susan Haynie.

Invariably, ForBoca takes the opposite position from BocaWatch. ForBoca favored a restaurant on the Wildflower property. BocaWatch opposed it. ForBoca supported zoning changes for Midtown. BocaWatch opposed them. After Haynie won a second term, ForBoca called Zucaro“Boca’s Sorest Loser.”

Guzzetta and ForBoca now will seek to influence the 2018 elections, when Councilmen Jeremy Rodgers and Robert Weinroth are on the ballot. Then there’s the possible special election for mayor in 2019 when Haynie leaves early to run for county commission. It’s a good bet that whoever Zucaro backs, Guzzetta will be on the other side.

DOUG MOSLEY is the man who must pull off the Boca Raton Bowl.

The fourth-annual game will take place this month at Florida Atlantic University Stadium.

Mosley lives in Boynton Beach but he works for ESPN, which produces the Boca Bowl and 13 other postseason games.

ESPN’s contract with the city and Palm Beach County called for six games. At deadline for this article, the parties were discussing a second six-year deal, and Mosley was optimistic.

ESPN, Mosley said, “is really happy” with the results. The company hopes to hold another event in the area. Running the Boca Bowl already is a 12-month job, and Mosley hopes to make more work for himself, which would bring more benefits to the area.

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122

Top

Restaurants To Visit Now Written by LYNN KALBER

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AARON BRISTOL

As a season primer, we decided to take Palm Beach County’s culinary temperature. These are the 10 destinations that registered the most heat—from stalwarts to upstarts, and from upscale restaurants to laid-back food shacks. Bon Appétit!

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Clockwise, from top: Regional's crispy Brussels sprouts, tomato pie and fried chicken

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124 The Regional Kitchen & Public House

Chef Lindsay Autry

The Regional’s pickled shrimp starter

BACK STORY: Despite the big building with the big name, dining is cozy at The Regional (as locals refer to it).

Chef/Partner Lindsay Autry has a big rep, but she’s down to earth and so is her restaurant.

Autry was a finalist on Bravo’s “Top Chef,” and cemented her talent and loyal following while working with Michelle Bernstein and at Delray Beach’s Sundy House, among other spots.

She partnered with popular local restaurateur Thierry Beaud (of Pistache, PB Catch and Paneterie Café) to open this South-meets-Mediterranean spot in mid2016, and she’s drawing foodies from as far away as Miami and Orlando to one of West Palm Beach’s destination hot spots.

CityPlace 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach 561/557-6460 HOURS: Monday-Saturday — 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Sunday — 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

AARON BRISTOL

THE VIBE: If you see a big name onstage next door at the Kravis Center, you’ll also see the audience head to The Regional afterward for drinks and noshes, sipping inventive cocktails while letting the parking garage empty out. Smart move.

DON’T MISS: Autry has brought pimento cheese back into the spotlight. Or into the spotlight for the first time, some would say.

It’s made tableside ($12), with options to add everything, including jalapeños and crab meat. It’s good any way you have it.

Autry’s fried chicken ($11) is braised in sweet tea and lightly breaded.

It’s unforgettable. So are the tomato pie ($12), pickled shrimp ($12) and any fish special (around $30). You get the idea.

The cocktails—created and updated regularly—are produced in the Public House, a beautifully appointed, large bar area with tables for spillover, or just for lounging. Settle in and watch people eating food that makes them feel good.

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125

LIBBY VOLGYES

Bluefin toro o-tuna steak

AARON BRISTOL

Rebel House is loud and fun and quirky.

Rebel House BACKSTORY: “Life tastes better against the grain,” asserts a sign in the funky Rebel House dining room. This, in a mixed nutshell, sums up the vision behind restaurateurs Mike Saperstein and Evan David’s unique concept.

Details matter here, from the gonzo art to the unusual palate combinations and creative dish names (Flavors of Lobster Roll, Chicken Cordon Ooooh). Rebel House is now a foodie fixture; its founders also own Charm City Burger Company and El Jefe

Luchador, both fast-casual havens in Deerfield Beach.

THE VIBE: In Boca Raton, folks are divided: You either love Rebel House passionately, or don’t get it. That’s because its menu and décor are as eclectic as you can get, and in this city, that stands out.

Wood rafters are covered in colors, artwork, lettering. Exposed pipes throw respectable ceilings to the wind. There’s a questionably dressed mannequin staring at you next to the front

door. Mismatched chairs add humor and more color. We confess to being immediately comfortable—and comforted—upon entering, with a bit of a tiny thrill: What dish will captivate our taste buds this time? There’s always something new to try, and that lure keeps us coming back. Just park your calories/carbs/cholesterol concerns with the bikes out back, and sit your famished self down.

DON’T MISS: The cocktails have their own

personality, sneaking up on your senses until they elicit an “Oh! That was good!” response.

The Chef’s Last Meal is enormous and feeds a small army unless everyone’s selfish: charcuterie, cheeses, pickles, breads and more ($26 for four meats and four cheeses). The avocado and orange salad ($10) is a citrus delight.

A great way to go is A Taste of Rebellion, where the chef chooses your meal ($49 per person; cocktail or wine pairings extra).

297 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 561/353-5888 HOURS: Lunch — Daily, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Dinner — Monday-Wednesday, 5 p.m. to midnight; Thursday-Saturday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Sunday, 5 to 10 p.m.

Brunch — Saturday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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126 Little Moir’s Food Shack BACKSTORY: Mike “Little” Moir opened The Food Shack in 2002, and he’s never looked back. His slogan is, “From top scholar to blue collar: food for all walks of life,” and that’s who you’ll find lined up when the restaurant unveils its dinner menu at 4:15 p.m. (Not 4!) There are no reservations taken here, but there are also no reservations about the top quality of the meals. Moir also owns Leftovers Café in Abacoa and the bar/ food/live music joint Maxi’s Lineup next door to Little Moir’s.

Shack’s fried tuna and basil roll

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103 S. U.S. Highway 1, Suite D3, Jupiter 561/741-3626 HOURS: Monday-Wednesday — 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Thursday-Saturday— 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

DON’T MISS: Any fish with Mike Moir’s signature sweet potato crust (like the gluten-free encrusted grouper with Key lime garlic dressing). Or the AARON BRISTOL

Food Shack partners Mike Moir and Drew Shimkus

THE VIBE: If you’re a fan of small, intimate, tropical food shacks serving fresh-caught fish that once dotted mile markers all the way to Key West, Little Moir’s is for you.

It could have been plucked from Marathon Key and set in Jupiter.

The food stands up to the fresh, tasty, beautifully prepared standard, too. The employees form a solid team that seems choreographed in the small aisles and crowded tables. Some of the employees have been there since 2002, and it shows.

coconut-crusted fish, the herb-crusted fish… you get the point. The daily catches can range from wahoo ($25.25) to tuna ($26.25), dolphin ($26.25), salmon ($25.25), grouper ($27.25), swordfish ($26.25) and more. Mike Moir buys his fish from conservation-minded Florida fishermen all the way to Scotland and Hawaii. Choose your fixins and chow down.

The menu changes daily, and is posted on the website. Little Moir’s reflects the area: You never know what you’ll find inside, but you know it will taste terrific and you’ll have a good time.

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Louie Bossi’s Ristorante, Bar, Pizzeria BACKSTORY: It reads like a best-selling novel or Hallmark movie. A talented chef, who’s a recovering drug and alcohol addict, goes to work for Big Time Restaurant Group and everything changes.

His kitchen skills and creativity are noticed, he moves up in the company, then mentions he’s always wanted his own restaurant. Done. The chain agrees to open a restaurant named after him (!), it’s a huge success, and Louie Bossi’s Ristorante mini-empire is born. Now there are two Louie Bossi’s, the original in Fort Lauderdale and the newer 2017 model in Boca Raton.

(There’s a third Bossi restaurant with a slightly different focus in the works for Delray Beach.)

The cherry on the top: Louie Bossi believes in giving back.

His A Taste of Recovery charity does just that, benefiting the nonprofit Crossroads Club for recovering addicts.

THE VIBE: Louie Bossi is a people person, and his restaurants take their cue from that trait. They are people places— bustling with smiling employees and tantalizing smells that hit your nose the minute you step inside. The pizza oven pops out Neapolitan pizzas; the bar is two-deep and obviously serving

up memorable times.

It’s noisy in a good way.

You can still hear yourself talk, but move the breadsticks out of your mouth first. Or go play bocce— there are courts at both restaurants—while you wait for your Insalata Misticanza to arrive.

DON’T MISS: The breadsticks, chopstick-thin and rolled in light chili flour that gives them a tiny flavor punch. All the pasta, bread, pastries, gelato and cookies are house-made daily. The pizzas ($16-$21) have thin, crunchy crusts and lots of toppings (Bossi earned a Master Pizza Maker designation). A salumi and formaggio plate can be dinner with the numerous combination options offered. But you’d miss the pasta, and that would be a shame. Same for the fish and meat ($20$48). You’re going to hit a high spot wherever your eye lands on the menu.

100 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 561/336-6699 HOURS: Monday-Thursday — 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Friday — 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday — 10 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday — 10 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Bossi’s arugula e peppadew pizza December 2017

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128 Sybarite Pig BACKSTORY: Start with a chef with passion and vision, a vision he knew wasn’t necessarily one he could expect everyone to share. But Chef/Owner Daniel Naumko knew his ability to please foodies (starting with himself) would lead the crowd to the door of his Sybarite Pig restaurant.

This place with the name that’s tough to pronounce opened in 2012. Naumko makes his food from scratch, including sausages, chicken burgers, tacos and bourbon barbecue pulled pork. Pair those with his enormous selection of beers and wild ales, and you’ll have a meal that’s pure pleasure. Which makes you a sybarite.

THE VIBE: Visit in cutoffs or long skirts, T-shirts or long-sleeved

Chef Daniel Naumko

Brooks Brothers. You’ll feel at home either way.

Make sure whatever you wear has a bit of room, because once you start tasting dishes here, it’s tough to stop eating.

Furnishings are adequate, but not luxurious.

That you’ll find on your plate.

DON’T MISS: The lightly breaded yucca fries with the aji Amarillo sauce ($6) is dangerously good. The Wagyu duck fat burger ($13.50) is as drippingly amazing as it sounds, because, really, anything seared in duck fat has our vote. On top of that, the burger comes with bacon, cheddar, tangy homemade red onion jelly and a fried egg. If there’s room, try the Mama’s Dirty Slaw, which is sweet and spicy at the same time. Then roll us up and point us toward the car—but not before we end with a bacon chocolate cookie on ice cream ($6.50).

Yeah, we really said that.

And we really ate it, too.

AARON BRISTOL

CRISTINA MORGADO

20642 State Road 7 Boca Raton 561/883-3200

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HOURS: Monday-Thursday — 5 to 10 p.m., Friday — 5 p.m. to midnight, Saturday — noon to midnight, Sunday — noon to 10 p.m.

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129

CRISTINA MORGADO

Buccan’s fresh take on seafood is always a hit.

Buccan BACKSTORY: It’s not flashy, this Palm Beach flagship restaurant from Clay Conley, who’s known as one of the best chefs in the South.

Rather, Buccan has an understated décor, with a small bar that’s packed all the time, the same exposed ceiling pipes as sister restaurant Grato, beige paint and copper-topped tables. The tables are packed all the time during season, too.

It’s a fairly neutral setting for food that’s not neutral at all. It’s just plain wonderful.

Conley opened, with partners Sam Slattery

and Oliver Quinn, in 2011, and the very comfortable, very civilized Buccan was an immediate hit. Since then, their empire has expanded, with Japanese venue Imoto next to Buccan and The Sandwich Shop next door, too, delivering a lunch option. In West Palm Beach, Grato joined the revitalized restaurant area on Dixie Highway that’s filling up as fast as Prosecco bubbles rise.

THE VIBE: There’s a sense of control the minute you walk through the door. It’s a cool, come-in-and-

have-a-good-meal kind of control. Some of the best seats are in the front area, where you can see all the Palm Beach celebrities saunter in for their favorite meals. The seating is comfortable, with tables fairly close but still respectable. Always respectable. This is, after all, the crowd that refers to Hurricane Irma as “the event.”

While there’s an older, regular crowd, there is also the young hedge funders, fashion icons and fun boys, the girls in the latest Vogue fashions, low-key and hip. Conley’s food spans

all generations, as do the cocktails.

DON’T MISS: The cheeseburgers built on house-made brioche buns with aged cheddar ($19), which provoke sighs of satisfaction overheard by other tables. The sweet corn agnolotti ($15 for half portion; $30 for full) with ricotta, bacon and slightly spicy Espelette butter pops in your mouth, and you won’t share. All the bread and pasta is made in-house.

Try the mushroom pizza (there’s only one pizza on the menu) with grilled green onion,

black truffle vinaigrette and gruyere ($18) or the yogurt marinated chicken with cashews, curried cauliflower and mint yogurt ($28). The NY Strip is on the highend ($46), but the rest is medium-priced by Palm Beach standards.

350 S. County Road, Palm Beach 561/833-3450 HOURS: Monday-Saturday — 5 p.m. to midnight Sunday — 5 to 11 p.m.

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130 Latitudes Restaurant BACKSTORY: It doesn’t sound hard, but trying to find a beachfront dinner that knocks your sandals off in South Florida is as rare as finding a pearl in your raw bar oyster.

That makes Latitudes in Highland Beach all the more valuable, and you’ll be tempted to keep this gem locked up with your jewels. Chef James King has created a sea/surf/sun/supper getaway, and you don’t have to stay at the attached Delray Sands Resort to enjoy it.

In 2014, the Opal Collection luxury hotel chain renovated this prime dining property and brought in King, who had Four Seasons Resort experience. Great idea. Now diners drive up from Miami to eat here while locals walk up the beach for a meal.

Latitudes’ seafood bar

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THE VIBE: You’ll float in to see the ocean reflected in bubbles everywhere, from glass floats and circular mirrors to a glass bubble chandelier and breadbaskets with bubble cutouts—all surrounded by blues, whites and grays. Even the silverware seems to have tiny bubbles hammered in the metal. This is a fluid, sensual dining room, great for date nights as well as visitors from the frozen North.

Latitudes is retro in a mid-century modern way, and has the same seductive ambience as

the famed Miami Beach Fontainebleau. You just know something fun and exciting is in the air and you want to be there. Here it’s the food and camaraderie. At the unexpected combination of raw bar and bar, you can sip a cilantro ginger cooler and ask for oysters at the same time.

DON’T MISS: The addictive cheddar bread in those breadbaskets, or the mini ahi tuna tacos ($15) with tuna tartare, citrus-soy vinaigrette, wasabi aioli and ginger-scallion salad.

Try the creamy, smoked whitefish spread ($12) and an order of conch fritters ($12), and that could be dinner. But there’s the skirt steak with chimichurri and corn relish ($29), the popular Boca vegan wrap with marinated portobellos, roasted red peppers, balsamic onions, mung bean sprouts, oven-dried tomatoes, Greek olive hummus and avocados ($15), and the crab-crusted Florida grouper ($35), too. Decisions are a beach.

Delray Sands Resort 2809 S. Ocean Blvd.

Highland Beach 561/278-2008 HOURS: Daily — 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

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131 Max’s Harvest BACKSTORY: This is an intimate, comfortable place to visit, or to settle in for a while. The food is approachable, and so is the staff. Executive Chef Blair Wilson is grinning in the kitchen, happy in his ongoing culinary science project of tastes, smells and new combinations.

He joined the gang in 2017, after former chef Eric Baker left to open his own place. Wilson’s energy carries over to the customers and the cozy surroundings.

Max’s Harvest has been around since 2011, the successful brainchild of restaurateur Dennis

Max. To put it simply: You need to thank him for a lot of what we have available now in South Florida. You can also give thanks at this easy-to-relax spot, while you explore a tasty menu based on choosing “seafood caught without damaging the ecosystem,” and “meat from animals that were raised humanely and free of steroids.”

Local farmers supply the kitchen, and Wilson supplies the creative touch.

THE VIBE: Simple chairs and tables keep you focused on the

food. The kitchen is open to view in the middle of it all, and the energy flows from here. Max’s Harvest is a favorite local haunt, a destination for visitors, a perfect spot for business meetings, and a happy find for those coming through the door to try something new.

DON’T MISS: The revamped menu. The Buffalo alligator appetizers ($10). Really. Made with miso buttermilk, ‘nduja hot sauce and blue cheese, they are crunchy outside and tender inside, with a zip of spice.

The maple-roasted

Brussels sprouts are like popcorn with toasted sesame, barbecue pecan and mascarpone ($7). It’s a winning formula. Main plates to try include ricotta gnocchi (wild mushrooms, rapini, parmesan broth, slow cooked egg; $24), Berkshire spare ribs (a half-rack with Texas caviar, black kale and sesame sorghum barbecue, $28) and the brunch burger ($21; a blend of chuck, short rib, flank and brisket beef and country pork sausage).

Be sure to try some of the bar’s newest drinks, too.“The Gentleman,” a

fig Old Fashioned, is an invention from lead bartender Ivan Cerna and is a very good reason to stay and sip a while.

169 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach 561/381-9970 HOURS: Monday-Thursday — 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday-Sunday Brunch — 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Sunday dinner — 5 to 9 p.m.

LIBBY VOLGYES

Max’s “The Gentleman”

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132 Sant Ambroeus BACKSTORY: The fifth in a collection of these posh restaurants—but the first outside New York—opened a year ago and is Palm Beach’s new deluxe place to play. It’s also popular with those on the west side of the Intracoastal, because Executive Chef Marco Barbisotti’s menu complements gorgeous surroundings and makes each visit a lot of fun.

Saint Ambroeus’ branzino

Chef Marco Barbisotti

340 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach 561/285-7990 HOURS: Sunday-Monday — 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Tuesday-Saturday — 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

WEB EXTRA: What are your top 10 restaurants in Palm Beach County? Contribute your favorites at FACEBOOK. COM/BOCAMAG, and we’ll run the results next issue!

AARON BRISTOL

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THE VIBE: You walk into sunset colors surrounded by rippled mahogany, large antique mirrors and a modern, elegant yet warm restaurant. It feels as if you’re in 1950s Hollywood (Romanoff’s springs to mind) or Italy’s Gran Caffes, which inspired the design.

Settle into a mango-colored banquette with pillows at your back. Survey the scene.

Or slide into the funky, light turquoise bar stools and sip a cocktail or a digestif, while the wavy design in the polished terrazzo floor makes it seem as if you’re swimming. (After a couple of Proseccos, you might be.) Service is superb, as you deserve, and some of the prices aren’t as plush as the surroundings. Pizza and panini are $16-$24, for instance.

DON’T MISS: The fresh sunflower bread.

Other faves include the risotto of the day (if they have the simple Parmesan and balsamic vinegar special, get it), spaghetti carbonara ($23), the branzino dish ($45, for which you are given a fish knife), and the homemade gelato ($10). The gelateria includes delights such as vanilla gelato with Gran Marnier liqueur. Top it with an espresso at the coffee bar—or a selection from the impressive grappa, digestivi or cognac menus.

Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, Sant Ambroeus has settled in to stay. Oh, and you can stop by for an afternoon tea, coffee, panini or dessert, because this smashing place will make you feel even more special for just enjoying yourself in such luxe surroundings.

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133 Trattoria Romana

THE VIBE: When the valet asks if you’d like your car washed while

you dine, you know it’s going to be an interesting night. Step into Old World-style Italy, where there’s a palpable hum in the dining area and bar. Everyone is looking forward to the food, starting with an antipasti bar at the edge of the room. Spotlighted are huge plates of cured meats and colorful vegetables. A chalkboard with seemingly endless nightly specials means decisions need to be made, and that’s before you peruse the enormous wine list.

Portions are large, and there are prezzi elevati (high prices) on some

items, but the fettucine Bolognese is just $24.

The one thing you can’t put a price on is the feeling of being served a top-quality dinner in a beautiful restaurant like Trattoria Romana.

DON’T MISS: The seafood salad ($21), if it’s available. The wine list has earned Wine Spectator’s Best Of Award of Excellence since 2012, so it’s worth trying that, too, especially as it complements the dishes. A house signature special is langoustines oreganata served over linguini, which is pricey at $65, and worth it. Desserts

are just as mouthwatering as the entrée dishes, especially a light, fluffy, so-good-it-can’thave-calories Key Lime Limoncello pie ($9).

All breads and desserts are made here, so have your car washed again to make time to finish that pie.

499 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton 561/393-6715 HOURS:

Sunday-Thursday — 5:30 to 10 p.m.

Friday-Saturday — 5:30 to 11 p.m.

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

BACKSTORY: Arturo Gismondi and his family have owned restaurants in Boca Raton for years. Right now, he owns Trattoria Romana (since 1993), its upscale next-door French sister La Nouvelle Maison, the Biergarten Boca and two Cannoli Kitchens.

Next will be Luff’s Fish House, but it probably won’t be the last venue for Gismondi. He likes food, attention to detail and filling dining niches in his city. The rest of us benefit from this.

AARON BRISTOL

Top, Chef Arturo Gismondi; bottom, langoustines oreganata over linguini

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5Changed Ur s

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t a h T s g Thin

Fo re v e

From the Mariel Boatlift to the development of Disney World to the draining of the Everglades, these are the signal events that transformed a subtropical swampland into a populous paradise—for better or worse.

Written by Jan Engoran

Cooler Heads Prevail

What would life be like in Florida without air conditioning? Hot, sweaty and full of mosquitoes, at least according to accounts by early pioneers.

As settlers domesticated the Wild West, so we tamed the once uncontrollable Florida climate—the heat, the bugs, the harshness and the humidity that was once the natural state of Florida before the advent of air conditioning in post-World War II America.

In his book The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise, Miami resident Michael Grunwald recounts the “inhospitable,“god-forsaken,”“abominable”climate of Florida,“suitable for the haunt of noxious vermin or the resort of pestilential reptiles,”and not much else. He reports that until the Seminole Wars in the 19th century, white settlers had stayed away from the state and only ventured to South

Florida when chasing the Seminole Indians.

Florida was a natural paradise, but only for reptiles, bugs and alligators.“If early settlers had a choice between Miami and hell—they’d gladly go to hell,” Grunwald writes, paraphrasing an early diary entry.

So how did Florida evolve from a godforsaken outpost and swamp fit for Indians and alligators to the high-end, luxury vacation destination and year-round paradise we know today?

Two words: air conditioning.

In 1851, physician John Gorrie received a patent for a machine to make ice, as a way of cooling sick patients with tropical diseases. The father of modern air conditioning, Willis Haviland Carrier, created an electrical air conditioning system in 1902, to control the temperature and humidity for a paper manufacturing plant.

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136 And the rest is history.

“The importance of air conditioning cannot be underestimated in the development of Florida,” says FAU Associate History Professor Evan Bennett, who specializes in the history of Florida.

“This faith in technol-

ogy has allowed us to overcome the natural limitations of living in the heat and humidity of Florida and enables us to live year-round in a climate-controlled environment.

“Without air conditioning we wouldn’t have the Florida or the life we have today,” Bennett adds.“Nobody would move here to deal with the bugs, the swampland, the sun and the heat. Florida would remain off-limits during the summer months, for most people. Because of our climate-controlled environment, Florida now boasts a large permanent year-round population.”

Draining the swamp

Air conditioning pioneer John Gorrie

“Without air conditioning, we wouldn’t have the Florida or the life we have today.”

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The only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles lived side by side—Pa-Hay-Okee, the Seminole name for Grassy Water, or the Everglades—is a unique ecosystem of flora and fauna which has, ironically, been a catalyst for the growth, development and settlement of Florida.

For hundreds of years, Native American tribes lived in and around the 4,000-square-mile area, barely leaving a carbon footprint on the fragile environment.

This changed when a 37-year-old industrialist, Hamilton Disston, purchased 4 million acres in the Everglades from the State of Florida

in 1881 at 25 cents per acre, with the intent to develop and drain the “worthless”swamp, and create saleable land for farming. Backed by local governors, five canals— the Miami, North New River, Hillsboro, West Palm Beach and St. Lucie—were dug from Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic Ocean.

For each mile of canal that was cut, about 900 acres of land was drained, according to accounts by the Historical Society of Palm Beach County, which led to Florida’s first land boom.

Most people believed that draining the Everglades would be as simple as pulling the plug in a bathtub, but it proved to be an expensive and political boondoggle.

According to the Property and Environmental Research Center (PERC), in 1851 and 1855, the Florida legislature created the Internal Improvement Fund (IIF), a state agency that used public money to entice private developers to drain the land, but due to mismanagement and corruption the Fund went bankrupt.

After two major hurricanes—one in 1926 and the second in 1928— caused deaths, severe damage and flooding from Lake Okeechobee, the state turned to the Army Corps of Engineers for help in draining the Everglades. One of their first projects was to build the 85-mile-long Herbert

Hoover Dike, at a cost in excess of $19 million, to alleviate future flooding from Lake Okeechobee.

In 1964, they also began digging the Cross Florida Barge Canal to give ships a shortcut between the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

In Grunwald’s book, The Swamp, he notes, “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the ground troops in America’s war against nature, finally conquered the Everglades with one of the most elaborate water-control projects in history, setting the state for South Florida’s spectacular postwar development.”

The result? The formerly pristine ecosphere, home to wading birds, the Florida Panther and other wildlife, gave birth to suburbs such as Weston, Wellington, Plantation, Pembroke Pines, Miami Lakes and Miami Springs.

“So,” Grunwald goes on to say,“the story of the Everglades is also the story of the transformation of South Florida, from a virtually uninhabited wasteland to a densely populated Fantasyland with 7 million residents, 40 million annual tourists and the world’s largest concentration of golf courses.”

It was also these efforts at water drainage and flood control, subsidized by federal monies, which made commercial sugar production in the Everglades a major industry in South Florida.

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The road more traveled

An old joke goes, what is the best thing about South Florida?

Answer: I-95 North.

Though that may get a good laugh at a comedy show, realistically, it’s a two-way street. The road that transports us north all the way through New York, Maine and into New Brunswick, Canada, also brings tourists, visitors and commercial goods south to the Sunshine State.

As the main interstate highway on the east coast of the U.S., its southernmost segment serves the Atlantic coast of Florida, beginning at a partial interchange with U.S. Highway 1 just south of downtown Miami.

The backbone of the East Coast economy, the interstate allows goods

and services to travel freely up and down the coast, measuring in the trillions of dollars.

The highway’s construction was not without controversy. In 1956, the Miami News characterized the project as a “...slum clearance program.”Indeed, as is often the case with urban renewal projects, the interstate cut through the mostly black and poor neighborhood of Overtown, displacing residents and historic buildings.

Signed into life in 1959, the first section of I-95 opened a year later in Jacksonville, and the piece bringing visitors from Fort Lauderdale to Miami was finalized 11 years later, in 1970. By 1976, most of the highway, spanning 382 miles from north to south in Florida, was complete from the Georgia state line to Fort Pierce as well as from Palm Beach Gardens south to Miami.

Ever-changing, the latest addition to our slice of I-95 is Boca’s new 2.5-mile-long Spanish River interchange, begun in 2014 at a cost of $69 million.

However, Florida being Florida, not all the goods and services transported on the newly constructed highway were legal. In the mid-tolate 1980s, according to a

From left: Seminole Indians who once inhabited the area, and the dredging of the Everglades

STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA

Thanks to the rediscovery of early Everglades advocates such as Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the river of grass is now recognized for its unique biodiversity, and efforts are underway to restore the Everglades and reclaim the land. In 2000, President Clinton and then-Florida Governor Jeb Bush signed a bill to restore the ecosystem over a period of 30 years and a cost of $8 billion.

This effort is ongoing.

Once again, the Army Corps of Engineers, the lead federal agency for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), will lead the effort to undo some of the damage it partially caused. Only time will tell whether these efforts at reversing the ecosystem’s decline and creating a water system to serve the natural, urban and agricultural environments of South Florida will be successful.

Construction of I-95

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Little Havana, big impact

What changed a sleepy little South Florida town and haven for retired Yiddish-speaking Jews into an international gateway for Latin America, where the primary spoken language is Spanish, and the sounds of salsa and

the smells of cafecito permeate the air?

We can thank Fidel Castro for this.

Once Castro seized power in 1959, an exodus of upper- and middle-class Cubans departed the island looking for opportunity in the U.S. Arriving in four waves beginning in 1960-62 with Operación Pedro Pan (Operation Peter Pan), 14,000 unaccompanied minors came to the U.S., followed by President Lyndon Johnson’s Freedom Flights in 1965, which transported Cubans to Miami twice daily, five times per week, from 1965 to 1973, bringing more than 300,000 refugees to South Florida.

In 1980, Castro opened the doors to those wishing to leave the island in what has become known as the Mariel Boatlift, which also brought so-called“criminals and crazies,” people released from Cuban jails and mental health facilities.

Some 125,000 Cubans arrived in this exodus. As the island experienced more economic deprivation, more Cubans were driven to leave, often in old cars or rafts.

They were referred to as balseros (rafters).

The 1994 Balseros Crisis was ended by a political agreement between then-President Bill Clinton and Fidel Castro. Known as the Wet-Feet, Dry-Feet Policy (later rescinded, in January 2017, by President Obama), the accord granted any Cuban migrant legal permanent resident status if he or she touched U.S. soil.

The new arrivals brought with them their culture, their music, their cuisine to Miami. They formed political organizations and opened small businesses—drugstores, furniture stores, cigar factories, nightclubs—all concentrated around Eighth Street, now known as Calle Ocho.

According to the Pew Research Center, as of

KEYSTONE PICTURES USA/ZUMAPRESS.COM

Below, from left: Cuban refugees were temporarily housed at the Orange Bowl in 1982, and the interior of a hangar in Key West ca. 1983, where refugees awaited processing

1987 New York Times article by Jon Nordheimer, during its construction, I-95 took on a role no one had anticipated.

“It became the longest runway in the United States for drug-smuggling planes,”James D. Holt, then-sheriff of Martin County, said in the article.

And, according to Dan McNichol, author of The Roads that Built America, opening up I-95 symbolically punctured the vestiges of the Mason-Dixon Line, the boundary between the free northern states and the southern slave states during the Civil War. “Besides breaking through the Mason-Dixon Line and literally

opening up the South and paving over Tobacco Road, it (I-95) freed up commerce,”McNichol writes.

“I think its fame is yet to be understood. It’s so depended upon. It’s so necessary in people’s lives.”

For all its folklore, it can’t be denied that I-95, congested during our morning commutes and shut down for traffic accidents all too often, is a necessary evil in getting us to where we’re going—and a culturally significant force in the economy and lifeblood of Florida.

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139 new “Florida Project,” something he promised would be “bigger and better than Disneyland.”

Aside from the wideopen land and endless blue sky, Disney and his staff caught a glimpse of new roadways coming to fruition: Interstate 4, Florida’s Turnpike and Interstate 75, all prepared to shuttle visitors from points north, south and west.

Disney selected Orlando over potential sites in St. Louis and Niagara Falls and began

STATE ARCHIVES OF FLORIDA

2015, an estimated 2 million people of Cuban origin live in the U.S., with nearly 70 percent of the population concentrated in Florida.

One thing is clear about the Cuban arrivals to South Florida: Their impact has forever changed the course and flavor of our state. Instead of assimilating into greater Miami, Cubans have left an indelible mark, transforming the city and the South Florida region into a hub for all of Latin America,

In its first two years, Disney World drew 20 million visitors. Admission cost $3.50. making it a gateway city and an arts destination— one with all the vibrant colors and flavors of their homeland.

The mouse that roared

Prophetically, Walt Disney himself once said,“My only hope is that we never lose sight of one thing—that it was all started by a mouse.”

Once that mouse crept into Central Florida, life would never be the same for the sleepy agricultural region.

On the fateful day of Nov. 22, 1964, Walt Disney was surveying Orlando from a twin-engine Beechcraft Queen Air, searching for possible sites for his

secretly buying up millions of dollars worth of Central Florida farmland.

According to the history of the theme park from the travel site Frommers. com, Disney World drew 20 million visitors and employed 13,000 people in the attraction’s first two years. Adult admission to the park cost $3.50.

The bucolic citrus-growing town of Orlando soon became the fastest-growing city in the state. The impact of Disney World on the Central Florida region cannot be understated, transforming it from a wilderness to a bustling commercial center and tourist destination.

Richard Foglesong, in his 2001 book Married to the Mouse, characterized the

theme park’s relationship to Orlando as an “economic development marriage.”But critics questioned the environmental toll the park took on the city, noting the urban sprawl, unsightly road attractions, strip malls, construction and endless congestion.

A 2011 study commissioned by Disney shows the strong economic impact of Disney World to Florida. The $18.2 billion in annual economic activity generated locally

by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts accounts for 2.5 percent of the gross domestic product for the entire state. The study revealed that of the 7.2 million Floridians in the workforce in 2009, more than one out of every 50 had a job that can

be directly or indirectly tied to the operations of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. In Central Florida in particular, six percent of all jobs can be attributed to Disney’s operations.

Four years later, the 2015 annual theme park industry attendance report showed Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom as the world’s most popular theme park, with 20.4 million visitors a year.

With new features periodically being added, such as“Pandora—The World of Avatar,” Inspired by James Cameron’s 2009 movie; and a“Star Wars” guided tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, this trend seems unabated— even at $132 a ticket.

“Daffy Duck” prances in the Magic Kingdom, ca.

1980s.

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SAVOR ~the~ AVENUE Celebrate the 10th anniversary of South Florida’s longest dining table!

Written by ALLISON LEWIS and MARIE SPEED and JOHN THOMASON

I

t’s time to start planning for South Florida’s most innovative culinary event— Savor the Avenue—when Delray restaurants take center stage down the middle of Atlantic Avenue for five glorious blocks. Tables are lavishly decorated, candlelight shimmers, there is music and laughter and the sound of ice tinkling in glasses. The magic of twilight dining outdoors, of meeting new people, of sharing fine artisanal food has made this event a regional favorite for a decade now, and a signature event for Boca and Delray magazines and the Downtown Development Authority of Delray Beach. This year’s 10-year anniversary of Savor the Avenue will be March 26, and proceeds will benefit the *”Not One Homeless Student Hungry In Delray Beach”campaign. Contact downtowndelraybeach.com/savortheave for further information.

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142 32 East 32 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/276-7868

32 East is considered the granddaddy of Delray’s fine dining. Known for its menu that changes daily, 32 East provides options for everyone, from seafood to poultry, steak to vegetarian, and chef John Thomas continues the tradition of deconstructed appetizers and rich, surprising flavor profiles. 32 East has an exceptional wine list hand-selected by Butch Johnson, the restaurant’s co-owner. If you’ve never enjoyed 32 East’s Savor selections, this year will likely be your final opportunity: The restaurant is expected to close in late spring.

50 Ocean

50 S. Ocean Blvd., 561/278-3364

Imagination becomes reality at 50 Ocean, the only second-floor restaurant and bar on Delray’s beachfront, where meals are served overlooking the Atlantic.

Before taking a seat, stop by the Hemingway Lounge, where the American author’s story lives on through vintage pictures mounted on the walls. As the name suggests, 50 Ocean has plenty of seafood options to please any palate, organized under offbeat menu categories such as “This and That,”“Why Not”and “Maybe.”The mussels, octopus or lobster bisque is a good place to start. Follow up with a wedge salad or anchovy-topped Caesar, then decide on an entrée. The swordfish, salmon and filet mignon are all winners.

Avant 25 N.E. Second Ave., 561/921-8687

This stunning new Delray restaurant with its 12-foor teddy bear sculpture stationed by the door has a lavish yet edgy modern interior, massive cushy booths and a convivial cocktail bar. It features art by Delray artists and is already gaining ground as the hip new

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party place. The menu is classic comfort food in small plates, large plates and signature “big shares” with dishes such as lemon and herb chicken, coffee-rubbed hangover steak and a bread pudding made of a croissant soaked in Nutella.

Happily, the menu still has the beloved meatballs Solita (the previous restaurant in this spot) used to make, so in this case, hindsight is deadon. This may be an evolving scene-maker destination, but the food is excellent.

Buddha Sky Bar 217 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/450-7557

Buddha Sky Bar is a sexy Asian restaurant with the best view in town from its thirdfloor sky bar. A glass-encased rooftop arboretum overlooks downtown Delray Beach and the “Chef’s Table” space is perfect for private events. Buddha has arguably the best dim sum in the area, excellent sushi and offers a full dinner menu from all seats. Although it has gained a rep as a hip clubby place later in the evening, the dining here is authentic—and excellent.

Cabana

El Rey

105 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/274-9090

Cabana El Rey is authentic Cuban food at its finest, with Zagat praising its“305 flavors without the drive.”Choose from crispy plantains, jerk chicken wings, fried shrimp and more to begin a meal. Or jump into the extensive menu with originals such as the Coco Cabana, which combines yucca, yautia and vegetables with a signature coconut milk and habanero curry reduction seasoned to perfection. Cabana is lauded for its authentic cocktails, too, especially the sangrias and mojitos. With its spicy Latin ambience and friendly atmosphere, it encourages patrons to relax and have a good time.

WPTV’s Steve Weagle and the DDA’s Laura Simon at Savor the Avenue

Caffé Luna Rosa 34 S. Ocean Blvd., 561/274-9404

Directly across from the Atlantic Ocean, Caffé Luna Rosa is undeniably a local favorite—all day long. Chef Ernie DiBlasi and his staff prepare each dish with precision and prestige, and guests are treated with utmost respect and care. Mornings at Caffé Luna Rosa are notorious for crowds because, yes, the brunch options really are that amazing, from a breakfast pizza topped with sunny-side-up eggs to coconut-crusted French toast. Dinner is noticeably different—the extensive menu covers veal, chicken, fish and vegetarian plates. The wine list exceeds 200 options, and the staff is trained in wine presentation and service. No matter when the craving for a homemade, generously portioned Italian meal strikes, Caffé Luna Rosa will be ready and waiting.

Che!!!

900 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/562-5200

“Che!!!”translates colloquially to“friend”in Argentina, and you’ll feel like one when you

visit the flagship U.S. location of this venerable Spanish restaurant chain. Opening in 2016 in the former Hudson at Waterway East site, Che!!! boasts a primo waterfront location and abundant outdoor seating ideal for sunset-gazing. The voluminous menu straddles Spain, Argentina and even the Southern U.S., from chicken ‘n’ waffles and a farm-fresh salad to Galician-style octopus, Buenos Aries-style chorizo, and Argentinean veal Parmigiana, which is served with ham. A tapas bar and “12 for 10” lunch menu will satisfy the budget-conscious, helping this inaugural Savor participant earn its exclamation marks.

City Oyster & Sushi Bar

213 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/272-0220

City Oyster is a local see-andbe-seen hangout, and if there’s room at the bar, find a spot near one of the bartenders, who are practically as famous as Sam Malone. They’re happy to serve up their best Old Fashioned or the perfect Rob Roy alongside

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145 the restaurant in 2017, offers innovative farm-to-fork cuisine with a southern spin. Every dish is bright with flavor and seasonal additions, with highlights like the St. Louis pork ribs, the Buffalo alligator, the heirloom tomato tart. But you could throw a dart at this menu and be happy with anything you hit. Bring friends, sit at the bar and watch drinks as they’re made—and partake of the classic Max’s Happy Hour selections. The goat cheese croquettes spring to mind.

The Office 201 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/276-3600

Cut 432 432 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/272-9898

Brian Albe, Brandon Belluscio and Anthony Pizzo are part of Delray’s infamous restaurant owner troika. Together, they own and operate three cherished eateries, the oldest of which is Cut 432 (Park Tavern and El Camino are the others).

Cut 432 is a brilliant steakhouse that is also known for what is arguably the best happy hour in town. The happy hour menu includes $5 snack and cocktail selections, $4 house spirits and $3 house wines, all available at the long white modern bar.

Delve a little deeper for a selection of dry-aged steaks, classic

seafood (can you say oysters Rockefeller?) and favorites such as Mom’s meatball and a mac ‘n’ cheese people swear by. This has all the attributes of a fine steakhouse with a much hipper spin. And do not forget the vino—Cut 432 has more than 300 options.

Farmhouse Kitchen 204 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/266-3642

Farmhouse Kitchen offers diners a cozy, rustic vibe—with a healthy menu. The indoor-outdoor bar provides a great view of the Ave, and focuses on the “clean”eating trend that eschews culinary staples like fat, butter or cream in favor of ancient grains, vegan alternatives and plant-based proteins. But that’s not to say it doesn’t serve up a lot of flavor and popular signature dishes like the Buffalo cauliflower and a battery of delish flatbreads. Farmhouse Kitchen relies on seasonally fresh and locally sourced ingredients. Look for twists on classics, such as sweet pea and

avocado guacamole and bison meatloaf, and standard favorites including seared scallops and skirt steak.

Lemongrass Asian Bistro 420 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/278-5050

We love Lemongrass, as it’s one of the only places in Delray that can offer a wide variety of Asian cuisine under the same roof.

Lemongrass is a modern, contemporary bistro where Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese influences flourish. It’s popular with locals and visitors alike, and the menu spans sushi wraps to curries, small plates to nigiri.

Seating options include indoor and outdoor tables presided by a friendly, reliable staff. Stop by for appetizers and sake or stay for the evening.

Max’s Harvest 169 N.E. Second Ave., 561/381-9970

Tucked into Pineapple Grove, Max’s Harvest is renowned for its signature menu items and quality handcrafted cocktails.

Chef Blair Wilson, who joined

Rack’s Fish House + Oyster Bar 5 S.E. Second Ave., 561/450-6718

One of Gary Rack’s well-known establishments, Rack’s Fish House + Oyster Bar is a staple on the Ave. Aside from its $1 oysters during happy hour, Rack’s is known for its delicious raw bar selections, signature seafood entrees and nouveau-nautical decor. Start with a shellfish platter, then dive into the Skuna Bay salmon, stuffed shrimp or seared scallops. The

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CARL DAWSON

excellent service and conversation. City Oyster is an ideal spot for a power lunch or dinner, too, with a menu that is creative and diverse. For example, you can start with items ranging from soppressata flatbread to rock shrimp and blood orange ceviche to a frutti de mare or steaks and chops. City Oyster has sushi to soup and everything in between.

The Office, with its sleek sidewalk bar, is a great hangout spot after work or on the weekend. The outdoor bar and seating area is perfect for casual conversation, but when the menu arrives, take note of its angry cauliflower, chipotle deviled eggs and bacon and charred Spanish octopus.

Arguably, The Office has the best burgers in Delray— splurge on a veggie burger, CEO burger or turkey burger.

And try one of its meticulously handcrafted cocktails or draft beers. Check out the latenight menu, which runs daily from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Even Dwight K. Schrute would approve.

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Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar 110 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/808-1100

Start off with guacamole prepared tableside and warm tortilla chips. It’s a necessary staple alongside a refreshing margarita or mojito (there’s 425 tequila options) or an ice-cold cerveza.

Find a chair at one of the tables under the neon sign and red awnings, or dine indoors. The casual, relaxed atmosphere is great for groups big and small.

Rocco’s Tacos prepares all orders from scratch, including the

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addictive chips. Try a few tacos or enchiladas and add a side of queso—the menu is affordable.

If it’s after midnight, stop by for the late-night menu, which offers $2 tacos, $3 beers and $5 specialty drinks until 3 a.m.

Salt7

32 S.E. Second Ave., 561/274-7258 “Brunch”and“Salt7”are famous for being inseparable—mention one, mention both, and for good reason. After 2 p.m., Salt7 turns into a nightclub, with blackout curtains, DJs and performers. As beloved as brunch is, there’s also a dinner menu that deserves notice. The tuna poke appetizer is on trend, and the raw bar selections are plentiful. But steak is what Salt7 does so confidently and deliciously. Try the 22-ounce

bone-in cowboy rib-eye, the filet mignon or New York strip. Accessorize with Salt7’s signature steak sauce or savor every delicious unadulterated bite. The sides are endless: creamed spinach, duck fat fries and marinated beets. With its sleek atmosphere and menu offerings, Salt7 is on the cutting edge of culinary innovation.

Vic & Angelo’s

290 E. Atlantic Ave., 844/842-2632

Classic Italian meets American cuisine at Vic & Angelo’s corner location near Delray’s railroad tracks. Surrounded by exposed brick, colorful accents and an aroma of baked bread, guests will feel as if they’re lost in Italy.

Using San Marzano tomatoes and the freshest ingredients, traditional favorites like V&A’s

lasagna, rigatoni Bolognese and fettuccini alfredo are absolutely delicious. Don’t forget to try the coal-fired pizza—we recommend the original or the margherita. Stop by for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

*Not One Homeless Student Hungry in Delray Beach is a partnership between Living Hungry, The Delray Beach Homeless Task Force and the Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Our campaign is to feed every homeless student in our city every weekend to boost their grade level reading and to empower brighter futures. Together, we will declare “In Delray Beach, not one homeless student goes hungry.”

CARL DAWSON

day boat platter is good for those who want a little bit of everything: cod, shrimp, scallops and crab. Try a Prohibition-esque cocktail or stick to a draft beer. No matter what you order, you’ll be reeling in a great catch.

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INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY + MODERN ART FAIR

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Norman Mooney, “Gold Sun”, Polished bronze, aluminum, clear coat, 48 in dia., C Fine Art, New York

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BACKSTAGE PASS

Wynton Marsalis, performing Dec. 7 at Kravis Center December 2017

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B AC K S TAG E PA S S

TAKE 5

Peter Sagal The NPR quiz-show host premieres a play about parental misguidance Written by JOHN THOMASON

P

eter Sagal’s new play, “Most Wanted,” is also an old play. The radio host and dramatist penned it two decades ago, when he was a bushy-tailed writer of 30, and it’s only now receiving its world premiere, courtesy of Lou Tyrrell’s Theatre Lab at FAU. Sagal had yet to father a child at the time he wrote the play, but “Most Wanted” is rich with insights about the challenges and regrets of parenthood. These themes surface from underneath a madcap caper about a pair of overzealous grandparents, Doris and Frank, who steal away to Florida with their daughter’s baby. They meet a number of quirky Floridians along the way, including a fellow-senior who believes she’s 21, and the caretaker of Harry Truman’s Little White House in Key West, who continues to anticipate the return of the 33rd president.

The state itself emerges as a central character, with the Keys serving as a refuge for the desperate and the checked-out, the end of the world for people at the end of their ropes. As a motel clerk tells Doris early on, “People are always heading south who stop here. And in the morning they head south again, and I never see them again. Nobody ever goes north. I don’t know what happens to them down there. I’m afraid to look.”

Sagal, whose day job is the host of the crackerjack quiz show “Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!” on public radio, opens up about revisiting his 20-year-old comedy, and the inspiration of setting it in our favorite state.

To Jews, South Florida has this both “promised land” and “elephant graveyard” feel. It’s where you go when you’re done. When you leave your life, you go to Florida.”

How did the idea of a pair of outlaw seniors kidnapping their grandchild come to you?

It’s very strange how this came to be. I didn’t have any children myself, but my brother and his wife had a child, the first of three.

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Her grandparents were really, really interested in seeing her, as often as possible. There was real tension between my brother and sisterin-law and her parents.

I was like, what happened if her parents just grabbed the baby and ran?

The play has a vintage atmosphere to it. This Florida seems populated by characters from another era. Did you want to evoke a surreal time warp?

No, I wanted to write about the world as it existed, but I do think there is a kind of nostalgia for the past.

There’s a lot in this play about people who won’t admit that time has passed. One of the reasons the grandparents are doing this is so they can go back in time and do it right.

They feel they’ve screwed up with their own daughter. So it’s like, let’s kidnap her daughter and we’ll start fresh.

Do you feel like there are teachable moments audiences can take away from this play?

I agree with Moss Hart, who said, “if you want to send a message, use a telegram.”

I don’t want to teach anybody anything.

When I sat down to write this one, I just wanted to see what was happening. I just started the play with them arriving at a motel in Florida and not having any idea where they would go.

Talk about the importance of Florida to the story.

Would it work if it were set anywhere else in the States?

Oh God, no. I’m Jewish, and to Jews, South Florida has this both “promised land” and “elephant graveyard” feel. It’s where you go when you’re done. When you leave your life, you go to Florida. Of course, the unspoken thing is, the next place you go to is death! So this whole notion just made sense to me emotionally that they would go to Florida.

Your NPR show, “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me!,” is one of the few radio game shows still on the air. What attests to its continued popularity?

We say the things on the radio that most people only get to shout at the radio.

Public radio in general is very moderate and balanced and polite.

And that’s good. It should be those things.

All of that said, for one hour a week, we drop the dignity from public radio. We say rude things and goofy things and tell stories about farts and crazy animals and dumb drunk people. And I think people need us.

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151 IF YOU GO WHAT: Sagal’s “Most Wanted” WHERE: Theatre Lab at FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton WHEN: Dec. 1-17 COST: $35 CONTACT: 800/564-9539, fauevents.com

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B AC K S TAG E PA S S

CALENDAR

Now-Dec. 17

Now-Dec. 23

Now-Dec. 31

Now-Jan. 7

“THE CAMP” at Levis JCC’s

“SHE LOVES ME” at The

“KNIGHTS OF THE AIR: AVIATOR HEROES OF WORLD WAR I” at Flagler

“EARTH WORKS: MAPPING THE ANTHROPOCENE” at Norton Museum

of the American pilot as an avatar of wartime propaganda and heroic pop-culture archetype is the subject of this historical exhibition, presented in conjunction with the centennial of the United States’ entry into World War I.

bition curated by the Norton features work by Justin Brice Guariglia, a veteran of seven NASA flights who blurs the line between photography and painting as he explores climate change.

Sandler Center, 9801 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton; $25-$40; 561/558-2520, levisjcc.org. Local playwright

Michael McKeever’s latest drama is this season’s mustsee world premiere. Set in the aftermath of World War II, it examines a local village of so-called “good Germans” whose complicity in the Nazi agenda makes them anything but.

Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; $85; 561/995-2333, thewick.org. From the same

story that inspired the Hollywood classic “Shop Around the Corner,” “She Loves Me” is a deft and charming musical comedy about a pair of bickering employees at a modest Hungarian perfumerie who unknowingly bond as lonely-hearts pen pals.

Museum, 1 Whitehall Way, Palm Beach; $3-$18; 561/655-2833, flaglermuseum.us. The representation

of Art, 1451 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach; free; 561/832-5196, norton.org. This timely exhi-

“Knights of the Air”

“Earth Works”

Charles Calello

“Little Shop of Horrors”

Dec. 1-10

Dec. 1-17

Dec. 1-17

Dec. 2-3

“IT’S ONLY A PLAY” at Willow Theatre at Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton; 8 p.m.

Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays; $20; 561/347-3948, willowtheatre.org. Tony-win-

“ANNIE GET YOUR GUN”

“LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS” at Kravis Center,

CHARLES CALELLO at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 8 p.m. Sunday; $60-$75; 561/4839036, bocablackbox. com. Seventy-nine years

ning playwright Terence McNally’s uproarious satire of theatre culture is set in a producer’s wealthy manse on the opening night of a Broadway flop, where the cast and crew anxiously await the overnight reviews.

at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St.; various show times; $30; 561/272-1281 ext. 4, delraybeachplayhouse.com.

Irving Berlin’s enduring musical has enjoyed Broadway and regional productions for more than 70 years. Songs including “There’s No Business Like Show Business” fortify this fanciful story about sharpshooter Annie Oakley’s romance with traveling entertainer Buffalo Bill Cody.

701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; $35$45; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. A meek floral-shop

worker aims to win the girl of his dreams—with help from a carnivorous plant with a taste for human flesh—in this endearingly dark retro-rock musical by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, produced by MNM Productions.

young and with 15 Grammy nominations to his credit, former Four Seasons singer Calello will perform hits popularized by his Frankie Valli-led vocal group along with iconic favorites from Barbra Streisand, Neil Diamond and more, backed by a 17-piece orchestra.

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153 Now-Jan. 21

Now-Feb.18

Now-April 8

Now-April 8

“OUT OF THE BLUE: JAPANESE INDIGO TEXTILES”

“LOOKING GLASS” at Cornell Museum at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; $5-$8; 561/2437922, oldschoolsquare.org.

ALEX KATZ: “SMALL PAINTINGS” at Boca Raton

CONTEMPORARY PHOTOGRAPHY FORUM at

at Morikami Museum, 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach; $9$15 museum admission; 561/495-0233, morikami. org. Showcasing the long and

cherished history of indigo dye in Japanese textiles, this exhibition includes examples of kimono, samurai jackets, festival robes, firemen’s coats and wrapping clothes that have been dyed the dark blue hue.

Reopening to the public after a months-long renovation, the Cornell presents this group exhibition of artists who deploy reflective surfaces in their work—a reference to the curator’s desire to “reflect” on the Cornell’s cultural contributions to Delray Beach.

Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $10-$12; 561/392-2500, bocamuseum.org. Pioneering

American abstractionist Katz forecasted the heightened colors of the Pop Art movement, painting poets, critics, curators and other denizens of the New York intelligentsia, often on a massive scale. This bite-sized introduction to the master’s work pulls from a career spanning six decades.

Dec. 1

Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; $10-$12; 561/3922500, bocamuseum.org.

The museum’s inaugural photography forum aims to capture the zeitgeist of postmodern photography, showcasing three emerging artists who use the medium’s traditions as a starting point for their multimedia, experimental works.

TANGO BUENOS AIRES: “THE SPIRIT OF ARGENTINA” at Crest Theatre, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $50-$60; 561/243-7922, oldschoolsquare.org. One of

Argentina’s most impressive cultural exports, “The Spirit of Argentina” features more than 20 authentic, jaw-dropping tango performances, to the live music of an onstage band.

Looking Glass

Alex Katz

Tango Buenos Aires Will & Anthony

Danielle Nicole

Dec. 6

Dec. 6

DANIELLE NICOLE at Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; 8 p.m.; $15-$35; 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit.com. One-third

WILL & ANTHONY: “BROADWAY HOLIDAY” at

of the blues-rocking family band Trampled Under Foot, singer-songwriter Nicole struck out on her own with her propulsive 2015 debut Wolf Den, which quickly reached No. 2 on the Billboard blues charts.

Crest Theatre, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $30-$40; 561/2437922, oldschoolsquare.org.

From the comedy breeding ground of Upright Citizens Brigade to the sparkling confines of Carnegie Hall, these talented brothers have transitioned from comedy to music. Experience their soaring tenor voices on holiday favorites from “O Holy Night” to “New York State of Mind” and their original composition, “The Gift is You.”

Contemporary Photography Forum

Dec. 7

Dec. 7-9

Dec. 7-10

WYNTON MARSALIS

STEVE LEMME & KEVIN HEFFERNAN at Palm

“PETER AND THE STARCATCHER” at Crest

at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; $35-$45; 561/832-7469, kravis. org. The Grammy-winning

trumpet maestro will lead a 15-piece orchestra of acclaimed jazz artists through a program of holiday favorites and historic gems by Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Benny Goodman, with veteran jazz songstress Catherine Russell on vocals.

Beach Improv, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach; $22; 561/8331812, palmbeachimprov. com. Two members of

the Broken Lizard Comedy Troupe—the demented minds behind such stoner staples as “Super Troopers,” “Beerfest” and “Club Dread”—perform standup, share stories from their film careers, and enjoy brewskis with the audience.

Theatre, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $65-$75; 561/243-7922, oldschoolsquare.org.

From Slow Burn Theatre and based on a best-selling young-adult novel co-written by Dave Barry, “Peter and the Starcatcher” is the swashbuckling origin story about Peter Pan and Captain Hook—an adventure meta-play set on storm-ravaged ships, beaches, jungles and grottoes.

December 2017

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B AC K S TAG E PA S S

EDWIN MCCAIN at Funky Biscuit, 303 S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; 9 p.m.; $35$50; 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit.com. A

Dec. 9

Dec. 9-10

Dec. 10

WINTERFEST 2017 AT WELLINGTON AMPHITHEATER, 12100 Forest

NICK GRIFFIN at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 7 and 9 p.m.; $25-$35; 561/4839036, bocablackbox.com.

“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE: THE RADIO PLAY” at Lake

THE SYMPHONIA BOCA RATON at Roberts Theatre

Hill Blvd., Wellington; 6 p.m.; free; 561/792-6525, wellingtonchamber.com.

Wellington’s most famous resident, the rapper, TV star and philanthropist Vanilla Ice, will provide a “chilly” reception as headliner of this annual holiday party, which also includes vendors, a kids’ village, and local music and dance talent.

DAVID MCCLISTER

staple of Top 40 radio in the late 1990s and beyond, McCain’s love songs, including “I’ll Be” and “I Could Not Ask For More,” have stolen hearts and soothed souls for two generations. After a stint hosting a show on Animal Planet, McCain returns with an intimate club tour.

Dec. 8

From midnight shows in Greenwich Village to his 11 performances on The Late Show With David Letterman, this standup comedy road warrior has been honing his smart, sarcastic craft for more than a quarter-century.

Worth Playhouse, 713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth; $15-$25; 561/586-6410, lakeworthplayhouse.org.

The Playhouse will present the Lux Radio Theatre version of the ubiquitous yuletide movie, featuring professional actors, oldtimey microphones and live sound effects.

at St. Andrew’s School, 3900 Jog Road, Boca Raton; 3 p.m.; $84; 561/3763848, thesymphonia. org. In its first Connoisseur

Concert of the season, the Symphonia will celebrate the 70th birthday of conductor Gerard Schwarz, who will man the baton for a program of Torelli, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and a world premiere composed by Schwarz himself.

The HARID Conservatory

Nick Griffin

PETER LORBER

Edwin McCain

Vanilla Ice , Winterfest

Sarge

Dec. 13

Dec. 15

SARGE at Boca Black Box, 8221 Glades Road, Suite 10, Boca Raton; 7 and 9 p.m.; $39.50$44.50; 561/483-9036, bocablackbox.com. On

this “Chanukah Chutzpah Tour,” the triple-threat comedian, singer and pianist—and Miami Beach native—will perform this multifaceted show tailored to celebrants of the Jewish holy week.

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JEAN CAZE QUINTET

at Arts Garage, 94 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 8 p.m.; $30-$45; 561/450-6357, artsgarage.org. Jean Caze, a

trumpet phenom from Haiti, performed alongside Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau and Chicago before he turned 28.

A second-place finisher in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, Caze’s improvisatory talent has earned comparisons to Miles Davis.

ALEXANDER SRB

Dec. 8

CALENDAR

COREY MELTON

154

Dec. 16

Dec. 16-17

DAVID BROMBERG QUARTET at Funky Biscuit, 303

THE HARID CONSERVATORY’S 2017 WINTER DANCE PERFORMANCES

S.E. Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton; 8 p.m.; $40-$60; 561/395-2929, funkybiscuit.com. This Americana

string virtuoso cut his teeth in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the 1960s and became a dependable sideman for Bob Dylan, Ringo Starr and others. After a stint away from the limelight, Bromberg formed a band in 2007 and has been a prolific recording artist ever since, most recently on 2016’s The Blues, The Whole Blues and Nothing But the Blues.

at Countess de Hoernle Theater at Spanish River Community High School, 5100 Jog Road, Boca Raton; 3 p.m.; $25-$30; 561/997-2677, harid.edu.

The HARID’s gifted young dancers will perform the second act of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Nutcracker,” along with selections from other ballets and modern and character dances.

Dec. 29-30 AVERY SOMMERS at Mizner Park Cultural Center, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 7:30 p.m.; $32-$45; 844/672-2849, miznerparkculturalcenter. com. This South Florida

powerhouse vocalist will kick off the Cultural Center’s Great American Songbook series with “For Sentimental Reasons,” a new show featuring standards such as “I Will Survive,” “Unforgettable” and “Georgia On My Mind.”

December 2017

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Dec. 10

Dec. 11-21

98 DEGREES AT CHRISTMAS at Kravis Center, 701

“ALL THAT JAZZ: THE MUSICALS OF BOB FOSSE”

Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; starting at $29; 561/832-7469, kravis.org. The “Because of

You” hit-makers 98 Degrees have a soft spot for Christmas carols. Listen to the reformed boy band perform cuts from its platinum-selling This Christmas and its latest album, Let It Snow.

at Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 N.W. Ninth St.; various show times; $30; 561/272-1281 ext. 4, delraybeachplayhouse.com.

The Playhouse honors the trailblazing choreography and direction of Bob Fosse with a song-and-dance revue of his most celebrated numbers from shows such as “Damn Yankees,” “Pippin,” “Sweet Charity” and “Chicago.”

Victor Wainwright & the Train Kings of Leon

98 Degrees

Dec. 31-Jan. 1 “BARNEY & ME” with Hal Linden at The Wick Theatre, 7901 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton; 5 and 10 p.m. Dec. 31, 3 p.m. Jan. 1; $95; 561/9952333, thewick.org.

Seven-time Emmy winner Linden, who portrayed Barney Miller in the eponymous ABC sitcom, is also an accomplished cabaret singer whose New Year’s performances feature Broadway classics, Dixieland favorites and swing tunes backed by a live orchestra.

Hal Linden

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10/30/17 10:49 AM

11/6/17 4:32 PM

Special Advertising Section:

Notable Artists in Our Neighborhood

ROSE KRAUSER

Rose Krauser

Bringing the World to You Through Art

B

oca Raton is an established cultural center—which may be why so many up and coming artists live and work here.

Sally Painter, for example, was acknowledged as one of 15 nationally emerging artists by Southwest Art magazine in 2015. Painter also exhibits regularly with important arts organizations, such as the Oil Painters of America, the International Guild of Realism, and the National Oil and Acrylics Painters Society (NOAPS) .

Local artist Trish Savides participated in NOAPS’ highly competitive 2016 Masters and Signature Invitational Exhibition, where she was awarded Best in Show. Another local wildlife artist, Craig Watts, exhibits his work annually with the prestigious Audubon Artists at the world-renowned Salmagundi Club in New York City.

Boca Blaze

RoseKrauserFineArt.com • rosekrauser@gmail.com • 561-504-8660

✦

Bringing the World to You Through Art

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MARLENE TARAN RoseKrauserFineArt.com

Many Boca Raton artists are represented in private and corporate collections across the country. Deloitte Touche and Shearson American Express, both headquartered in New York, feature art by Linda Botwinick.

Closer to home, Lynn Cancer Center and Women’s Health & Wellness Institute’s collection includes several works by Rose Krauser, as well as Botwinick, Painter, Watts, and many others.

Around town, opportunities abound to see paintings, sculpture, and other work by area artists. The Artists Guild features artists like Rebecca Edwards, who was recently awarded First Prize in one of the organization’s juried exhibitions. Of course, there are plenty of additional galleries and exhibition spaces where you can see artwork

by Marlene Taran, Priscilla Blum Silverberg, and many other regionally based artists.

The arts are alive and well in Boca— and here are a few of the people bringing them alive.

mtmelly@aol.com • www.marlenetaran.com • 305-458-8426 MarleneTaran_BRM1217.indd 1

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Special Advertising Section:

Notable Artists in Our Neighborhood

TRISH SAVIDES Portraits, Landscapes, Still Life

Midday at Venetian Harbor • 24" x 36" • Oil on Canvas

Stonington Harbor • 24" x 36" • Oil on Linen

After the Rain • 30" x 40" • Oil on Linen

Carciofi Ripieni • 22" x 28" • Oil on Linen

New England Marsh at Low Tide • 36" x 48" • Oil on Linen

TrishSavides.com • TrishSavides1@comcast.net

Royal Palm Plaza, 293 SE Mizner Blvd, Boca Raton, FL • Portraits by Appointment

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Special Advertising Section:

Notable Artists in Our Neighborhood

Capturing the Colors of Nature

Fullfilling

40" W x 30" H Acrylic on Canvas PBSCreations.com PRISCILLA BLUM SILVERBERG PBSCreations@aol.com 561-271-9192

Water Aerobics • 36" x 36" • Commissions inquiries are welcome. craigwattsfineart.com • 561-504-1632 • info@craigwattsfineart.com CraigWattsArts_BRM1217.indd 1

A compliment. A recognition. A meeting of minds.

10/30/17 1:54 PM PriscillaArts_BRM1217.indd 1

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SALLY PAINTER

Broken Sound

“It's not how many breaths you take, but rather how many things take your breath away.”

Bold Botanical Art

LINDA BOTWINICK FINE ART

Member of Oil Painters of America and International Guild of Realism SallyPainterArt.com

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561-271-8132 www.ventivida.com

HAND EMBELLISHED GICLEES AVAILABLE IN MANY SIZES

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Special Advertising Section:

Notable Artists in Our Neighborhood

Boca Raton Fine Art

REBECCA EDWARDS Contemporary Waterfall

Fine Art for Home & Business bocafineart@gmail.com www.bocaratonfineart.com 561-394-8481

Unframed Oil on Canvas 30" x 40" | $2400

Color Me Flowers

Framed Oil on Canvas 24" x 18" | $1800

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Ar

i

n

ts &

En ter tain ment

The A&E blog at bocamag.com is your go-to source for what to do and where to go in South Florida. At the beginning of each week, award-winning arts writer John Thomason reveals the week’s top picks for music, theatre, film, visual art and special events. Visit throughout the work for cultural news, interviews and insightful reviews of concerts, movies, plays and more.

bocamag.com/arts-entertainment

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Holiday Party

RESERVE YOUR

Book your holiday party and special events with us!

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BOON’S ASIAN BISTRO REVIEW › J O S E P H ’ S W I N E BA R R E V I E W › BATC H G A S T R O P U B R E V I E W › C H E F S P OT L I G H T › THE BOCA CHALLENGE › D ECO N S T R U C T I N G T H E D I S H ›

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Clockwise from above: shrimp in the blanket; the Daimyo sushi roll

DINING GUIDE

REVIEW

Boon’s Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar

Shoppes at Boca Greens, 19605 N. State Road 7, Boca Raton, 561/883-0202

I I F YO U G O PARKING: Parking lot HOURS: Mon.-Thurs., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-9:30 p.m.; Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-10 p.m.; Sat., 4:30-10 p.m.; Sun., 4-9:30 p.m.

PRICES: rolls $6$23.95; entrées $17.95-$79.95 (party boat for three); Thai dishes $9.95-$19.95 WEBSITE: boonsboca. com

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••••

t’s a typical weekend, and Boon’s Asian Bistro, open for 13 years, is crowded with families, date nights and longtime fans. This small west Boca restaurant feels big, bustling and noisy, but you can hear each other. Stoic Buddhas on the walls impassively observe plates of pad Thai and sushi rolled out to the booths and tables. Servers traffic constantly, checking, clearing.

Five different, friendly employees help our dinner proceed.

That feeling of attentiveness is emphasized by hot towels offered before we order. These are pre-packaged, microwaved towels, but it’s more than we’ve gotten at most sushi-Thai restaurants.

They are serious about sushi here.

The first dish to roll out is a side salad with the pad Thai order. It’s visually underwhelming—a small dish with one piece of cucumber and one cherry tomato, a small

amount of iceberg lettuce and an orange glob of dressing flattened by, we assumed, another prepared salad dish stacked on top. But it tastes a lot better than it looks.

The dressing is made with oranges, lemon, lime, garlic and onion, and has a more intense flavor than similar Asian dressings.

A starter of shrimp in crispy blankets—Boon’s answer to the chicken tenders so popular with the younger set—isn’t a visual standout either, but it does hit the comfort-food zone with shrimp and chicken rolled together in fried rice skins, and a pumped-up sweet/sour sauce that gives a kick to the tongue.

Boon’s is known for its beautifully presented sushi, so we ask for the Daimyo roll, with eight large pieces.

It is as beautiful as it is delicious.

Each seaweed-bound circle is a tuna, salmon, yellowtail, asparagus, avocado, scallion and fish eggs

mini-meal with fresh ingredients all around. This is top sushi.

Restaurateur Chan Boon Pattana opened a second Boon’s in west Delray Beach earlier this year with chef-partner Andrew Rothschild. Rothschild’s background includes a stint at The Breakers.

Also in Delray as chef de cuisine is Tuan Tran, who worked at Nobu. It’s no surprise to find such impressive names and talents behind the impressive dishes. But the most gratitude for this meal goes to Executive Chef Victor Wong, who oversees both the hot kitchen and the sushi chefs. The sushi bar is a blur of action, as active as the constantly moving tableside servers. Yet it’s not a frantic movement but a confident, well-rehearsed motion that radiates well-being—part of the reason that once Boon’s is on your radar, you will steer back here regularly.

AARON BRISTOL

Written by LYNN KALBER

December 2017

11/6/17 4:59 PM

R I S TO R A N T E

For 35 years the family tradition continues...

DISTINGUISHED RESTAURANT OF NORTH AMERICA

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CUISINE NEW ELEGANT OUTDOOR PATIO AVAILABLE PERFECT FOR AFTER DINNER DRINKS + CIGARS

Open daily for dinner and lunch (M-F) and special events for parties of 6-150. Live music nightly.

6750 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton | 561-997-7373 | www.ArturosRestaurant.com

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From left: tiramisu, the duck a l’orange, Joseph’s special cheese platter; below: rack of Australian lamb

DINING GUIDE

REVIEW

Joseph’s Wine Bar & Café 200 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach, 561/272-6100

I

I F YO U G O PARKING: On the street or in parking garage HOURS: Hours: Mon.Sat. 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Mon.-Sun. 5-10 p.m.

PRICES: $18-$39 WEBSITE: josephswinebar.com

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••••

t’s an intimate setting, one of the many small restaurants in a more-crowded-every-day Pineapple Grove. It’s an old-timer, 10 years old. But you’ll miss Joseph’s Wine Bar if you’re not looking for it, and for many, that’s how they find it—by mistake.

The second visit is sure to be on purpose.

Owner Joseph Boueri greets everyone who walks in; many are regulars. They return for the atmosphere and the American/Mediterranean food. It’s sophisticated, comfortable and cozy.

An enormous wine rack fills one wall. The full bar with a smooth stone top and sit-awhile chairs fills the opposite wall. Joseph’s son, Elie, is both behind the bar and waiting tables. He’s a restaurateur, too, formerly owner of Bistro 241 across the street until a developer bought the block for a larger project—maybe a hotel. That would ensure an even larger flow of diners here, where it’s already booked most nights during season. And it’s a true family affair. Daughter Romy runs the front of the house, and Frenchtrained chef/wife Margaret runs the kitchen.

Success means different things in a restaurant. For us, it was the special cheese platter, with five distinctive examples: aged English rugged cheddar, hard Spanish goat cheese (milder than you’d think), Spanish manchego, white cheddar and creamy brie with almonds and honey. This and a nice bottle from Joseph’s wine wall is a great way to while away an evening.

For the duck à l’orange, success meant crispy, flavorful, slightly sweet skin and a tender half duck beneath it. The organic brown basmati rice was tender, too, the root vegetables side-brushed with an herbed sauce. The two chicken kebobs, with large chunks of meat, were marinated in a Mediterranean sauce (we tasted garlic, parsley, oregano), but the bird still ended up a bit dry. We had no complaints about the accompanying pita and homemade classic hummus. It was light and smooth, with a touch of olive oil pooled in the middle, serving as a needed dip for the chicken.

The rack of Australian rosemary-crust-

ed lamb with four chops baked in a Chianti sauce was a tender success, even if the chops were a bit more rosy red than the requested medium.

Ending with the tiramisu was nice, if not spectacular. Topped with chocolate and almonds and sitting on chocolate sauce with strawberry slices, the cake/custard creation itself was creamy but lacked that discernible coffee flavor despite the cocoa powder in evidence.

The food is good, the ambience welcoming, the wine wonderful.

Now that we’ve found it, we’d go back for another lazy evening with the Boueri family.

AARON BRISTOL

Written by LYNN KALBER

December 2017

11/6/17 5:00 PM

“IF YOU M A K E GR E AT i ta l i a n FOOD T H E Y W IL L COM E ” Offering Complimentary Transportation To & From Area Hotels Open For Dinner Nightly Private Rooms Available for Parties of 6–45 499 East Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton • 561-393-6715 www.trattoriaromanabocaraton.com TrattoriaRomana_brm1216.indd 1

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Batch Gastropub

Drinks, clockwise from bottom: The New Fashioned, Blueberry Basil ‘Jito, Torched Pineapple Mai Tai; above: avocado toast

14813 Lyons Road, Delray Beach, 561/877-0000

“W

I F YO U G O PARKING: Parking lot or valet HOURS: Brunch Sat. noon-4 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.; dinner Sun.-Thurs. 4-11 p.m., Fri.-Sat. 4 p.m.-1 a.m.

PRICES: $12-$28 WEBSITE: batchgastropub.com/delray

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••••

hat’s a gastropub?” asked my friend, as we were en route to dinner at Batch Gastropub in the Delray Marketplace plaza.

“Well, there’s an emphasis on drinks, but food is served, too,” I replied. And my answer was hohum, because most gastropubs aren’t what they used to be. In the 1990s, when the term arrived in the U.S. (London birthed the first official gastropub in 1991), it meant a good pub first, with quality pub food second.

For this side of the pond, it meant burgers and nachos with upscale twists. And salads, not traditionally offered in a pub-like setting. Now you can order the local fish of the day, mac and cheese, shrimp and grits, house-made breads and desserts. We can’t tell the difference between a gastropub and a restaurant.

For Batch Gastropub, it started in 2014 with a place in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood, and an emphasis on the alcohol. The name comes from the bartenders making large batches of cocktails that are then “on tap,”like beer. It means the tonic that mixed with

my gin was house-made, which is unusual. And it was very good tonic—H.M. Tonic #22 to be exact, crisp and tangy—while my glass also housed Bombay gin and house-made grapefruit-hibiscus bitters. A smidge of star anise seems to be in the secret mix, too, so the drink was light and refreshing. It will be my reason for going back.

The menu offers a roundthe-world tour, which may have been the biggest problem. Batch Gastropub needs to find its specialty and focus on it. The most popular dishes, said our server, include the Polynesian grain bowl with farro and quinoa, roasted sweet potato, edamame, grilled pineapple, cilantro and pineapple-ginger miso sauce.

The avocado toast is also a fave, and that I understand: The green goodness is spread on baguette slices with baby radishes, cilantro, roasted cherry tomatoes and cotija cheese and has a nice smokiness to it, almost a meaty flavor.

Speaking of meat, there is plenty on the menu. My brisket and short rib burger was a tender mix of those meats, with cheddar, caramelized onions and lettuce on a house-made bun. It was a good

burger, not a great one, lacking a standout taste that would take it over the top.

But the Mac Attack required the most improvement. The appearance was anything but appetizing, a dish of brown-topped yellowish material. It’s made with gnocchi, aged Gruyere cheese and a special “Dorito dust” that is a fairly spicy imitation of the crunchy stuff in a bag. It proved to be as rich as a Palm Beach dinner party, the faintly smoky dust overpowering the dish. The gnocchi was good, but just a little taste was too much—it was too cheesy for a mac and cheese, the dust screamed for attention all by itself, and the smokiness didn’t work here.

The heirloom and feta salad with Champagne vinaigrette dressing was the highlight of the meal. Yellow and red sweetly ripe tomatoes nestled among chunks of excellent feta. The dressing was crisp and tangy, enhancing the tomatoes’ earthiness and the richness of the feta.

While this gastropub’s menu is still finding itself, Delray Marketplace needed a spot where you can drink, eat and hang out, and Batch fits that bill.

AARON BRISTOL

Written by LYNN KALBER

December 2017

11/6/17 5:02 PM

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RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

DINING GUIDE Palm Beach County BOCA RATON

CRISTINA MORGADO

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

Veal Tomahawk Chop from Butcher Block Grill

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

561/997-7373. $$$ Biergarten—309 Via De Palmas, #90. German/

DINING KEY $: Under $17 $$: $18–$35 $$$: $36–$50 $$$$: $50 and up

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Pub. Part vaguely German beer garden, part all-American sports bar, this rustic eatery offers menus that channel both, as well as an excellent selection of two-dozen beers on tap and the same number by the bottle. The food is basic and designed to go well with suds, like the giant pretzel with a trio of dipping sauces and the popular “Biergarten burger.” • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/395-7462. $$

Bluefin Sushi and Thai—861 N.W. 51st St., Suite 1. Sushi/Thai. Arrive early for a table at this Asian hot spot—it’s popular with no reservations for parties fewer than six. Don’t skip the tempura lobster bomb, big in both size and taste. The ginger snapper will impress both Instagram and your stomach. Try the

chicken satay and pad Thai. Bluefin offers a variety of dishes from multiple cultures, all well done. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/981-8986. $$

Boca Landing—999 E. Camino Real. Contemporary American. The Waterstone Resort & Marina’s signature restaurant, Boca Landing, offers the city’s only waterside dining and shows off its prime location and views. Heavy on small plates, the menu features tuna crudo, fried calamari and a killer cheese and charcuterie board. Probably the best dish, though, is the charred filet mignon with a red wine bone marrow reduction, with wickedly luscious house-made hazelnut gelato coming in a very close second. • Dinner nightly. 561/226-3022. $$$ Bonefish Grill—21065 Powerline Road.

Seafood. Market-fresh seafood is the cornerstone, like Chilean sea bass prepared over a wood-burning grill and served with sweet Rhea’s topping (crabmeat, sautéed spinach and a signature lime, tomato and garlic sauce.) • Dinner nightly. Lunch on Saturdays. Brunch on Sundays.

561/483-4949. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/732-1310; 9897 Lake Worth Road, Lake Worth, 561/965-2663; 11658 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/799-2965) $$

Brio Tuscan Grille —5050 Town Center Circle, #239. Italian. The Boca outpost of this national chain does what it set out to do—dish up big portions of well-made, easily accessible Italian-esque fare at a reasonable price. If you’re looking for bruschetta piled with fresh cheeses and vegetables or house-made fettuccine with tender shrimp and lobster in a spicy lobster butter sauce, you’ll be one happy diner. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/392-3777. (Other Palm Beach County locations: The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd., 561/622-0491; CityPlace, 550 S. Rosemary Ave., 561/835-1511) $$

Butcher Block Grill—7000 W. Camino Real.

Steakhouse/Contemporary American. This casual steakhouse with a Mediterranean twist, an all-kosher menu, and a local, seasonal, sustainable ethos gives the stuffy old-fashioned meatery a swift kick in the sirloin. Beef here is all-natural and grass-fed, delivering big, rich, earthy flavor.

Seafood, whether raw (tuna tartare) or simply grilled (wild-

December 2017

11/6/17 5:03 PM

The only thing you’ll have to make is a reservation.

Savor the holiday season with the flavor and flair of The Atlantic Grille.

Delray’s premier dining destination is the ultimate holiday dinner reservation. Come for festive feasts and sparkling celebrations that will make your holidays memorable.

For reservations, call 561.790.8568 or visit TheAtlanticGrille.com.

Gift cards are available at TheAtlanticGrille.com/GiftCards Located at The Seagate Hotel | 1000 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach

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CHEF SPOTLIGHT

Angelo Elia Inside the chef’s Italian empire Written by LYNN KALBER

A

“Serving food is like being an architect; you work all day long to create your food.”

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You have a long, successful marriage. What similarities are there between that and serving great food?

Serving great food is like being an architect; you work all day long to create your food. To have a great marriage, you have to try to work together with your partner. I’m fortunate to work with my wife for 20 years in the same business; we find a point that works

great with us. When I go home, I don’t talk all the time about the restaurant.

We try to disconnect and focus on us, on our life.

What’s the hardest Italian dish to make that looks like it’s easy?

Pasta with tomato and basil. It’s very hard to make an original dish, because the original dish is perfect the way it is—not with 20 different items in one dish.

Do you have a favorite digestif?

Amaro Montenegro—it’s the aroma that’s spectacular. I can have it with a little ice. After a big dinner, it makes you feel light.

What’s your next challenge?

I’d like to open another five or six bakeries. And an Italian bar and grill, but completely different from

what I have now. It would be family-style for young people with a community table, open kitchen, pizza metro (by the meter), all different appetizers and nighttime music. It’s going to open in the next two years—I’m working on the concept myself right now. I’m also looking at the West Palm Beach area right now. The area is so great and coming along very, very strong.

AARON BRISTOL

s one of South Florida’s most successful restaurateurs, Angelo Elia has been on the move since he arrived here as a teenager from Salerno. He went to work in New York at the Four Seasons and La Cisterna, among other places. Then came South Florida and his work at Prezzo and H20.

Since 1998, he’s owned the popular Casa D’Angelo restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, and built two more in Boca Raton and the Bahamas’ Paradise Island. His chain of casual Italian places—the Angelo Elia Pizza, Bar and Tapas venues in Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Weston and Doral—is churning out the dough for pizzas and expansion.

Then there’s Angelo Elia the Bakery Bar in Fort Lauderdale. And the Jankara Winery he co-owns in Gallura, Italy. The vineyard is an extension of his wine expertise, which has garnered him the Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence for the past 15 years.

He’s got more surprises under his toque blanche.

December 2017

11/6/17 5:03 PM

INTERACT & MAKE

AN IMPACT Join professionals who make business & philanthropy their passion The Business and Professional Division (B&P) is launching an interactive networking series for like-minded community members, who want to help each other succeed in business, as well as make an impact through philanthropy.

B&P BREAKFAST NETWORKING SERIES

Friday • January 12, 2018 • 8:00 am Marriott Boca Center • 5150 Town Center Circle $18 per person Event Co-Chairs: Elyssa Kupferberg and Gary Lesser B&P Co-Chairs: Tracy Kawa and Gregory Gefen

To register visit: www.jewishboca.org/bpbreakfast A minimum gift of $1,000 to the 2018 UJA/Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County Annual Campaign is required to attend.

Mark your calendar for the next networking event in the series: March 16, 2018 Dietary Laws Observed

Business & Professional Division This event is generously sponsored by:

For more information, contact Sonni Simon at 561.852.3128 or SonniS@bocafed.org.

Exclusive Magazine Sponsor:

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A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA OR (850) 410-3800 OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

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caught salmon), is palate-pleasing as well. Don’t miss the fresh mozzarella, made and assembled into a salad at your table. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-3035. $$$

The Capital Grille—6000 Glades Road. Steaks.

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

Casa D’Angelo —171 E. Palmetto Park Road.

Italian. Angelo Elia’s impeccable Italian restaurant is a delight, from the stylish room to the suave service to the expansive wine list, not to mention food that’s by turn elegant, hearty, bold, subtle and always delicious. Dishes off the regular menu make excellent choices, like chargrilled jumbo prawns with artichoke, arugula, lemon and olive oil. But pay attention to specials like pan-seared snapper and scallops in a spicy, garlicky cherry tomato sauce. • Dinner nightly. 561/996-1234. $$$

AARON BRISTOL

The Cheesecake Factory —5530 Glades

Sea bass bouillabaisse from Chez Marie French Bistro

Road. American. Oh, the choices! The chain has a Sunday brunch menu in addition to its main menu, which includes Chinese chicken salad and Cajun jambalaya.

Don’t forget about the cheesecakes, from white chocolate and raspberry truffle offerings. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/393-0344. (Other Palm Beach County locations: CityPlace, West Palm Beach, 561/802-3838; Downtown at the Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, 561/776-3711). $$

Buzz Bites I A Kiss From the Pellegrinos

F

ather-and-son restaurateurs Steven Pellegrino Sr. and Jr. have clearly gotten a big hug from Delray Beach, with their Il Bacio and Prime venues. Both have been open for a while and show no signs of slowing down.

So the duo decided to give Boynton Beach a kiss, and opened Baciami (Italian for “kiss me”) in the One Boynton (formerly Las Ventanas) retail/residential spot at the corner of Federal Highway and Woolbright Road.

Opened in April, the sunset-colored dining room has yellow and gold walls, red curtains and clouds on the bar ceiling. The brick arches outlining the bar create a perfect setting for an Italian aperitivo. This space that was home to two previous restaurants was totally renovated and now includes a Neapolitan pizza oven. There’s outside dining, too.

The Pellegrinos are from Rhode Island, and that’s where they found Executive Chef Anthony Ianniello, who most recently cooked at 39 West in Cranston, R.I. (1415 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach; 561/810-5662; baciamoitaliano.com)

Chez Marie French Bistro—5030 Champion Blvd. French. Marie will greet you at the door of this nicely decorated, intimate, classic French restaurant tucked in the corner of a strip shopping area. From escargot encased in garlic butter, parsley and breadcrumbs to a tender duck a l’orange to an unforgettable crepe Suzette, you’ll be in Paris all evening. Voila! Also on the menu: panseared foie gras, homemade veal sausage, tasty onion soup, seabass Bouillabaisse, coq au vin, rack of lamb, salads and more desserts. • Dinner nightly. 561/997-0027. $$

Meatball Parmigiana appetizer

Chops Lobster Bar —101 Plaza Real S., Royal

Olive Twist

DaVinci’s house-made ethos extend even to its bar olives, which are personally hand-stuffed.

Palm Place. Steak, seafood. Steaks are aged USDA Prime—tender, flavorful and perfectly cooked under a 1,700-degree broiler. There’s all manner of fish and shellfish, but you’re here for the lobster, whether giant Nova Scotian tails flash-fried and served with drawn butter or sizable Maine specimens stuffed with lobster. • Dinner nightly. 561/395-2675. $$$$

Cuban Café —3350 N.W. Boca Raton Blvd., Suite B-30. Cuban. Diners pack this traditional Cuban restaurant for lunch specials that start at $7.95, including slow-roasted pork served with white rice and black bocamag.com

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beans. Other highlights include the Cuban sandwich and (on the dinner menu only) lechón asado. • Lunch Mon.– Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/750-8860. $

DaVinci’s of Boca—6000 Glades Road.

Italian. Expect carefully prepared Italian fare that will satisfy both traditionalists and the more adventurous.

The former will like crisp, greaseless fried calamari and hearty lasagna made with fresh pasta. The latter will enjoy creamy burrata with prosciutto, bacon jam and arugula and a branzino served with spinach, clams and shrimp. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/362-8466. $$

December 2017

11/6/17 5:03 PM

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BOCA CHALLENGE

Charcuterie Plates

J

ust wrap me up in ribbons and toss me under the tree. December and being organized are mutually exclusive. And that includes trying to plan for some normal meals around all the hoopla.

Enter charcuterie plates, which are assortments of cured, smoked, prepared meats. They are my favorite way of dining all year round, but especially during the holidays. Pair them with a cheese plate and a nice glass of wine, and you have a delicious, calming end to some wild December days.

The good news is charcuterie plates are popular. But where to go for the best? We did the legwork, ate some good meats, lingered over some tasty olives and pickled onions, spread more grainy mustard on pita bites and had more wine. It was tough. Our standards were high: a good assortment of meats and giardiniera (pickled sides), a memorable melding of tastes and a good deal. Does having cheese on the plate count? Were house-made meats better than others? Find out below.

—LYNN KALBER

ASSORTMENT MELDING OF TASTES

Rebel House

297 E. Palmetto Park Road Boca Raton 561/353-5888

Sweetwater Bar & Grill

VALUE

TOTAL

REBEL HOUSE

This gets big bonus points for the three meats being cured in-house: tangy duck prosciutto; fatty coppa; smoky, pâté-like torchon, as well as the sides of spicy pickles, strawberry jam, spicy mustard and smoked nuts. The prosciutto and coppa were close in the taste range, so more difference would have knocked it over the top. It was a lot of food for $13.

SWEETWATER BAR & GRILLE

With three varied meats—light, chewy bresaola; dusky, smoked prosciutto; and intense, truffled wild boar tartufo—your taste buds are in for a treat, and it’s a lot of rich food. Add the pickled onions and veggies, the grainy mustard and the good rustic bread slices, and it’s a dinner, for $15.

This dish includes two meats and two cheeses, so it isn’t a traditional just-meat charcuterie. There’s a lot of food for $15: chorizo, soppressata, dill-infused Havarti, smoked gouda, pickled onions, roasted garlic, basil pesto sauce and more. The accompaniments outshone the meats.

THE CORNER PORCH

1507 S. Federal Highway Boynton Beach 561/509-9277

Corner Porch

85 S.E. Sixth Ave. Delray Beach 561/266-3349

Pat’s Wine Bar & Grill

409 S.E. Mizner Blvd.

Boca Raton 561/430-5352

PAT’S WINE BAR & GRILL

RATINGS:

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This average charcuterie plate had several slices of prosciutto, capicola and soppressata, which had as much taste as standard deli cuts. The standouts were the crispy, grilled squares of salted pita bread and the slightly spicy olives. Go for the bread, the olives, the wine. Cost: $15 fair

good

very good

excellent

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The Center for Art, Culture & Learning Right Here in Boca Raton AARON KULA AND THE KLEZMER COMPANY JAZZ ORCHESTRA

A Very Jewish Concert and Variety Show on Christmas Day

Mon, Dec 25, 3:00 pm

Klezmer and Yiddish show tunes, humor and songs!

FILMS FROM AROUND THE WORLD March 4-24, 2018 www.bocajff.org

PREVIEW COMMUNITY EVENTS

THEATER AT THE J

A World Premiere Presented by West Boca Theatre Company

The Camp

Nov 30-Dec 17

Written by Award-Winning Michael McKeever and Directed By Michael Leeds Generously underwritten by Gerald Golden (Of Blessed Memory)

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story

Tues, Dec 12, 7:00 pm Zinman Hall 9901 Donna Klein Blvd, Boca Raton OR

Wed, Dec 13, 1:00 pm B’nai Torah Congregation 6261 SW 18th Street, Boca Raton

(For B’nai Torah tickets only, call 508-789-9076) Presented by the Women’s League of B’nai Torah Congregation and Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival

Special Guest:

Anthony Loder, son of Hedy Lamarr

ED ASNER & KATE BURTON

In a Dramatic Reading of

The Soap Myth

Tues, Jan 23, 2:00 pm OR 7:30 pm with VIP Reception at 6:00 pm

Who deserves the right to write history? Those people who have lived it and remember, those studying and protecting it, or those who would seek to distort its very existence?

ADOLPH & ROSE LEVIS JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER PHYLLIS & HARVEY SANDLER CENTER

21050 95th Avenue S. • Boca Raton

Off Glades Rd. Between Lyons Rd. & U.S. 441

020176541 Sandler Boca Mag Ad Dec 2017 Rev3.indd 1 LevisJewishCenter_brm1217.indd 1

COMEDY NIGHT WITH STAND UP COMEDIAN ROBIN FOX Thurs, Dec 21, 7:30 pm

Original and funny observations about the frustrations of suburban living, marriage, and raising a family. She was the Grand Champion of the Ladies of Laughter Competition and winner of Gilda’s Club Laugh Off.

561-558-2520

levisjcc.org/sandlercenter

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DINING GUIDE

DECONSTRUCTING THE DISH

ANTHONY NADER

178

Gingerbread Mansion

By Franny Monahan, pastry chef of The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale; 954/465-2300

I’ll stay up all hours of the night to make it perfect before I let [a dessert] go out .”

T

he gingerbread house of your youth just got a multimillion-dollar redesign.

Because when 26-year-old Franny Monahan, pastry chef of The Ritz-Carlton Fort Lauderdale, is in charge, nothing less than perfection is expected. “I’ll stay up all hours of the night to make it perfect before I let [a dessert] go out,” she says.

To celebrate the holidays, Monahan and her team made a 200-square-foot nautical winter wonderland-themed gingerbread

house to be displayed in the hotel lobby throughout December.

They’ve been prepping since October, baking sheets of gingerbread, constructing snowmen and snowflakes, and ordering special supplies like rope and string lights to make this the fanciest fake house imaginable.

“You don’t get to experience the cold weather in Florida during Christmas, but at least you can feel it when you come into our lobby,” she says. And if you’re ambitious—or want to elicit the

awe of friends and family with the most sophisticated cookie construction they’ve ever seen—you can follow Monahan’s decorating tips to create a most unusual, South Florida-style gingerbread house.

Ironically, what you see on this page is a miniature version of The Ritz’s life-sized gingerbread house. It’ll be the envy of real estate agents everywhere.

— SHAYNA TANEN

THE ROOF Monahan’s favorite part of a gingerbread house is the roof. She loves candy roofs, but this year she dyed gingerbread pieces and hand-cut the shingles before baking, allowing her to create this wave pattern. You can try it at home by adding food dye, or you could make a few batches of royal icing in different blue tones and paint the roof.

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SNOWFLAKES By using larger, heavier-looking snowflakes at the top of the house and gradually adding smaller ones toward the bottom, Monahan says it gives the illusion of motion to the snowflakes. While not edible, she uses shiny tissue paper, cotton balls and cardboard to create different textures.

WHITE ICING Just like a traditional gingerbread house, use royal icing, a combination of beaten egg whites and confectioners’ sugar, to glue the gingerbread together.

ROPE/ MINI LIGHTS This is a nautical house, so ordinary green garland won’t do! Drape thin ropes or jute twine around the edge of the roof for a special South Florida touch.

AARON BRISTOL

THE COOKIE While this gingerbread cookie is edible, it’s more sturdy than it is tasty. For a more scrumptious gingerbread to serve alongside the house, visit our website for Monahan’s gingersnap cookie recipe.

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Photography by StellyPhotoVideo.com

LIFE’S TOO SHORT TO DRINK BAD WINE.

T

he Tuscan wineries Livernano and Casalvento are makers of limited production, fine boutique-style wines. The wineries have been awarded many prizes over the years, including “Tre Bicchieri” from Gambero Rosso Guide (the most important award for a wine in Italy), the Gold Medal at the USA Los Angeles County Fair and First Place in the Radda NelBicchiere blind tasting, as well as high ratings from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast, among others.

Amici Imports LLC: (561) 543-0939 • livernano.it • lorenzoc@amiciimportusa.com

ENJOY OUR WINES AT THESE RESTURANTS: Fries To Caviar Garden Bistro Bar− (561) 617-5965 Jimmy’s Bistro− (561) 865-5774 The Office Delray− (561) 276-3600 Sweetwater Bar & Grill− (561) 509-9277 Il Contadino Ristorante− (561) 330-0004 Zuccarelli’s Restaurant and Bar− (561) 686-7739 The Banyan Restaurant & Bar− (561) 563-8871

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PICTURED WINES: Chianti ClassicoRiserva 2011: 91 points on Wine Advocate, 92 points on Vinous Casalvento ChiantiClassico Gran Selezione 2011: 92 points on Vinous, 92 points on Wine Enthusiast Casalvento JanusI.G.T. 2007: 94 points on Wine Spectator Livernano Purosangue I.G.T. 2009: 91 points on James Suckling Livernano Chianti Classico Riserva 2011: 92 points on James Suckling, 91 points on Vinous Livernano Jupiter I.G.T. 2012

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Domus Italian Restaurant—187 S.E. Mizner Blvd. Italian. The “Best Spaghetti & Meatballs Ever” dish is pretty darn close to being just that. The burrata with tomato carpaccio, melt-in-your-mouth Dover sole almondine, orecchiette con sausage and linguine vongole are part of a very good menu. From Sicilian fish salad to veal piccata, a light calamari fritti to chicken Parmesan, you can find something for all appetites. Save room for the tartufo. • Dinner nightly. 561/419-8787. $$$

Dorsia—5837 N. Federal Highway. Continental.

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

Farm-to-table Made Easy

Promising “slow food fast,” Farmer’s Table’s new Express option offers grab-and-go versions of favorite menu items.

Farmer’s Table —1901 N. Military Trail.

American. Fresh, natural, sustainable, organic and local is the mantra at this both tasty and health-conscious offering from Mitchell Robbins and Joey Giannuzzi. Menu highlights include flatbreads, slowbraised USDA Choice short rib and the popular Buddha Bowl, with veggies, udon noodles and shrimp. • Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. 561/417-5836. $$

Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen—399 S.E. Mizner Blvd. American. Natural, seasonal, sustainable.

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

Grand Lux Cafe —6000 Glades Road, inside

AARON BRISTOL

Town Center at Boca Raton. American. The Cheesecake Factory’s sister brand is an upscale take on the original formula, with an atmosphere inspired by the great cafes of Europe. The menu offers a range of international flavors, and the specialty baked-to-order desserts are always a big hit. • Lunch and dinner daily; brunch on Saturday and Sunday. 561/392-2141. $$

Fried zucchini from Dorsia

The Grille On Congress—5101 Congress Ave. American. Dishes at this longtime favorite range from tasty chicken entrees and main-plate salads to seafood options like Asian-glazed salmon or pan-seared yellowtail snapper. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/912-9800. $$ Houston’s—1900 N.W. Executive Center Circle.

Contemporary American. Convenient location, stylish ambience and impeccable service are hallmarks of this local outpost of the Hillstone restaurant chain. There are plenty of reasons why this is one of the most popular business lunch spots in all of Boca, including menu items like Cajun trout, the mammoth salad offerings and the tasty baby back ribs.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/998-0550. $$$

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Buzz Bites II Prezzo 2.0

I

f putting together a prime Italian restaurant is like making a fine wine, then Burt Rapoport and Dennis Max have the right formula.

When their Prezzo incarnation opens, it will have been a tried-andtrue idea that was put in the cellar for storage, only to be uncorked in time for fine dining. The two former partners are joining forces once again to bring back their popular 1990s restaurant Prezzo, this time in the Park Place shopping center.

Back then, the original Prezzo chef was a guy named Angelo Elia, now a successful South Florida restaurateur himself with multiple Elia locations.

Maybe that will be a future path for the chef overseeing this new Prezzo reincarnation, famed Miami-area Mango Gang original Mark Militello.

Militello and his Miami cooking crowd helped change South Florida taste buds by highlighting the area’s culinary ingredients.

Militello has a past connection, too, having worked at Max’s Place, Dennis Max’s Miami Beach restaurant. Then he purchased it and ran Mark’s Place, while earning a James Beard Award for best chef in the Southeast. Most recently, Militello oversaw menu makeovers at Josie’s in Boynton Beach.

Not a bad pedigree for Prezzo, which will focus on good, fresh, simple Italian food, says Militello. And he promised to bring back the former Prezzo’s signature roasted garlic and focaccia breadsticks.

Plans are to serve lunch, dinner, happy hour and weekend brunch.

Jimmy’s Fries to Caviar —6299 N. Federal Highway. Contemporary American. Going one better than soup to nuts is Jimmy Mills’ latest endeavor, an easygoing, affordable bistro in the old Darbster space that really does offer fries, caviar and more. Four varieties of fish eggs are shown off nicely crowning a quartet of deviled eggs, while the thick-cut fries complement a massively flavorful, almost fork-tender hanger steak in the classic steak frites. Lobster

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HOMEMADE ITALIAN BAKE RY

Cosa Duci

bisque is indecently rich and luxurious, ditto the Grand Marnier-infused chocolate mousse. • Dinner Tues.-Sun. 561/617-5965. $$

TM

Life’s Short...Eat Cookies!

Josephine’s —5751 N. Federal Highway. Italian.

Tradition trumps trendy, and comfort outweighs chic at this Boca favorite. The ambience is quiet and stately but not stuffy, and the menu is full of hearty dishes to soothe the savage appetite, like three-cheese eggplant rollatini and chicken scarpariello. • Dinner nightly.

561/988-0668. $$

Italian Artisan Bakery & Café

Junior’s—409 Plaza Real. Deli Restaurant/Bakery.

A meal starts with a crunch of garlic-tangy pickles, with excellent coleslaw and pickled beets. That’s before you order. Try the corned beef (of course!), the potato pancakes and go from there. You must, however, not miss the “World’s Most Fabulous” cheesecake. Because it is. • Open daily from breakfast through dinner. 561/672-7301. $$

Kapow! Noodle Bar—431 Plaza Real. PanAsian. This Asian-inspired gastropub delivers an inventive punch to the taste buds. Among the hardest hitters is its angry shrimp dumplings and the char sui pork belly bao bun. The Saigon duck pho is yet one more reason to go.

• Lunch and dinner daily. 561/347-7322. $$

Kathy’s Gazebo Café —4199 N. Federal Highway. Continental. This local stalwart smoothly rolls along with its signature blend of French and Continental dishes. The Gazebo is classic and formal, with equally classic dishes like creamy lobster bisque, house-made duck paté, broiled salmon with sauce béarnaise and dreamy chocolate mousse are as satisfying as ever. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/395-6033. $$$ Ke’e Grill—17940 N. Military Trail, Suite 700.

American. The attraction here is carefully prepared food that is satisfying, flavorful and reasonably priced.

The fist-sized crab cake is a good place to start, followed by sea bass with a soy-ginger-sesame glaze. • Dinner nightly. 561/995-5044. $$$

La Nouvelle Maison—455 E. Palmetto Park Blvd. French. Elegant, sophisticated French cuisine, white-glove service and a trio of (differently) stylish dining rooms make Arturo Gismondi’s homage to Boca’s storied La Vieille Maison the home away from home to anyone who appreciates the finer points of elegant dining. The cuisine showcases both first-rate ingredients and precise execution, whether a generous slab of silken foie gras with plum gastrique, posh lobster salad, cookbook-perfect rendition of steak frites and an assortment of desserts that range from homey apple tart to bananas Foster with chocolate and Grand Marnier. • Dinner nightly. 561/338-3003. $$$

La Tre —249 E. Palmetto Park Road. Vietnamese.

For almost two decades, this elegant little spot has been celebrating the delicate, sophisticated flavors

Come discover a hidden gem filled with pastries, cookies, espresso, gelato, cappuccino, Italian imports, daily lunch menu, wine and an authentic Italian family!

We change our menu daily!

Visit our site to see what mamma is cooking today: www.cosaduci.com

141 NW 20th Street B21 Boca Raton • 561.393.1201 Baking for a good cause: A portion of our proceeds will benefit research for Multiple Sclerosis.

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182 and textures of traditional and contemporary Vietnamese cuisine. A house signature, shrimp tossed with coriander curry pesto, is an inspired riff on Vietnamese classics. Service and wines match the refinement of the cuisine. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-4568. $$

and eggplant “pancakes” are on the new menu, as are butternut squash ravioli and thick, juicy rib-eye served “arrabiata” style. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/2397000. $$

La Villetta—4351 N. Federal Highway. Italian.

Italian. Hearty Italian and Italian-American food, served in giant “family style” portions, needs no reinventing. Though there is no shortage of local restaurants cooking in that genre, it’s the details of preparation and service that make Matteo’s stand out.

Baked clams are a good place to start, as is the reliable chopped salad. Linguini frutti di mare is one of the best in town. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-0773. $$

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

Le Rivage —450 N.E. 20th St., Suite 103. French.

AARON BRISTOL

On Thursdays at the fondues-and-more restaurant, ladies enjoy half-off all drinks—and a complimentary bottle of Champagne for parties of eight women.

Fondue from Little Chalet

The Little Chalet—485 S. Federal Hightway.

Max’s Grille —404 Plaza Real. Contemporary American. After 24 years in Mizner Park, Dennis Max’s modern American bistro is a true local classic.

The food and decor are both timeless and up to date, and the ambience is that of a smooth-running big-city bistro. Service is personable and proficient. The menu is composed of dishes you really want to eat, from duck spring rolls to the applewood bacon-wrapped meatloaf to the wickedly indulgent crème brûlèe pie.

• Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat–Sun. Dinner nightly.

561/368-0080. $$

Continental/Steakhouse. This clubby faux chalet touts both its pricy pedigreed beef and that once-hip culinary staple of the 1950s and ’60s: fondue. The latter offers a unique taste experience, especially if you go for the three-course prix fixe fondue dinner for two. It starts off with a choice of cheese fondues; we suggest trying the quattro formaggi.

Entrée fondues feature beef and shrimp options cooked in a burbling consommé, to be dabbed with any of five different sauces. For dessert, dip into the hazelnut or cookies & cream. • Dinner nightly. 561/325-8000. $$$

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

Don’t overlook this small, unassuming bastion of traditional French cookery. That would be a mistake, because the dishes that virtually scream “creativity” can’t compare to the quiet pleasures served here—like cool, soothing vichyssoise, delicate fillet of sole with nutty brown butter sauce or perfectly executed crème brûlee. Good food presented without artifice at a fair price never goes out of fashion. • Dinner nightly.

561/620-0033. $$

Ladies Night at the Little Chalet

Madison’s —2006 N.W. Executive Center Circle.

American. This location is something of a Bermuda Triangle for restaurants, with at least four eateries preceding this local outpost of a Canadian chain that styles itself a “New York grill and bar.” What Madison’s has going for it is an exceedingly handsome and capacious space, and service that is as professional as it is personable. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/994-0808. $$$ Maggiano’s—21090 St. Andrews Blvd. Italian.

Do as the Italians do, and order family-style: Sit back and watch the endless amounts of gorgeous foods grace your table. In this manner, you receive two appetizers, a salad, two pastas, two entrées and two desserts. The menu also includes lighter takes on staples like chicken parm, fettuccine alfredo and chicken piccata. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/361-8244. $$ Mario’s Osteria —1400 Glades Road, Suite 210. Italian. This popular spot is swanky, but the rustic Italian fare keeps with an osteria’s humbler pretensions. Signature dishes like the garlic rolls, lasagna

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Matteo’s —233 S. Federal Highway, Suite 108.

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

561/998-3881. $$$$

Nick’s New Haven-Style Pizzeria —2240 N.W. 19th St., Suite 904. Italian. Cross Naples (thin, blistered crust, judicious toppings) with Connecticut (fresh clams and no tomato sauce), and you’ve got a pretty good idea of the pies coming out of Nick Laudano’s custom-made ovens.

The “white clam” pizza with garlic and bacon is killer-good; Caesar salad and tiramisu are much better than the usual pizzeria fare. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/368-2900. $$

Ninja Spinning Sushi Bar —41 E. Palmetto Park Road. Japanese/sushi. “Whatever floats your boat” isn’t just a saying at this hipster sushi bar.

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Your sushi really does float on a boat, one of many bouncing along a channel cut into the top of the restaurant’s large, square sushi bar. High notes are the Mexican roll with tempura shrimp and avocado, and the Seafood Volcano, with spicy kani and cream cheese. If sushi doesn’t float your boat, gingery gyoza and crispy fried shrimp with a drizzle of spicy mayo probably will. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly.

561/361-8688. $$

Ouzo Bay Greek Kouzina—201 Plaza Real. Greek-American. This sleek Mizner Park destination combines Maryland and Greek dishes, reflecting the flagship Ouzo Bay in Baltimore. You’ll find classic Greek dishes done right here: the spanakopita, dolmades and baklava are excellent. A large variety of fish are flown in daily and served whole or deboned, but always well prepared. Try the crab cakes with your ouzo. Opa! • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/757-0082. $$$

P.F. Chang’s —1400 Glades Road.

Chinese. There may have been no revolution if Mao had simply eaten at the Boca outpost of P.F. Chang’s—the portions are large enough to feed the masses—and the exquisite tastes in each dish could soothe any tyrant. We particularly like the steamed fish of the day, as well as the Szechuan-style asparagus. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/393-3722. (Other Palm Beach County location: 3101 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/6911610) $$

Piñon Grill —6000 Glades Road, Suite 1390.

Contemporary American. The menu seemingly lists every recent trendy dish to come out of modern American restaurant kitchens, but Piñon succeeds with spot-on execution, mammoth portions and reasonable prices. Try the steak Benedict, the chicken paillard or the chocolate and “cherried” waffle with ice cream, which is the definition of lusciousness. • Lunch and dinner daily. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/391-7770. $$

Established 1991

7 DAYS

7:00 am to 10:00 pm

BREAKFAST, LUNCH & DINNER 80 S. Federal Highway • Deerfield Beach, FL • (954) 480-8402

www.olympiaflamediner.com OlympiaFlameDiner_brm_0417.indd 1

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Established 1981

French Continental

Rack’s Downtown Eatery + Tavern— 402 Plaza Real. Contemporary American.

Though the menu generally falls under the heading of modern American comfort food, that can mean anything from elegant presentations like the jaw-dropping lobster cobb salad to homey offerings like burgers and pizza, fiery Buffalo-style calamari, succulent chicken roasted in the wood-fired oven and an uptown version of everyone’s campfire favorite, s’mores. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/395-1662. $$

Rafina —6877 S.W. 18th St. Greek. If you find the ambience of most Greek restaurants to be like a frat party with flaming cheese and ouzo, this contemporary, casually elegant spot will be welcome relief. Food and decor favor refinement

Rediscover the classic

4199 N. FEDERAL HWY. s BOCA RATON s 561.395.6033 s KATHYSGAZEBO.COM December 2017 KathysGazebo-interior_brm0116.indd 1

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over rusticity, even in such hearty and ubiquitous dishes as pastitsio and spanakopita. Standout dishes include the moussaka, the creamy and mildly citrusy avgolemono soup and the precisely grilled, simply adorned (with olive oil, lemon and capers) branzino. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/409-3673. $$

Ristorante Sapori —301 Via de Palmas,

Elvis Would Approve

Tanzy’s weekend brunch choices include the Infamously Decadent French Toast, with market berries and whipped mascarpone.

Royal Palm Place. Italian. Sapori features fresh fish, veal and chicken dishes imbued with subtle flavors. The grilled Italian branzino, the veal chop Milanese and the zuppa di pesce served over linguine are especially tasty, and the pasta (all 17 kinds!) is available in full and half orders, with your choice of 15 zesty sauces. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/367-9779. $$

Roots Italian Kitchen —212 S. Federal Highway. Italian. No pretentiousness here, with truffled burrata cream on sliced Roma tomatoes. Or gnocchi, linguine vongole, or risotto. All done well. Sauces and desserts are made in-house. Speaking of the cheesecakes, there are many varieties, so save room. • Lunch Tues.–Sat. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/757-6581. $$$ Ruth’s Chris —225 N.E. Mizner Blvd., Suite 100.

Steakhouse. Not only does this steakhouse favorite emphasize its New Orleans roots, it also distinguishes itself from its competitors by just serving better food.

The signature chopped salad has a list of ingredients as long as a hose but they all work together. And how can you not like a salad topped with crispy fried onion strings? Steaks are USDA Prime and immensely flavorful, like a perfectly seared New York strip. The white chocolate bread pudding is simply wicked. • Dinner nightly. 561/392-6746. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 651 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach, 561/514-3544; 661 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, 561/863-0660.) $$$$

AARON BRISTOL

Sapphire Indian Cuisine —500 Via de

Tuna tartare from Twenty Twenty Grille

Palmas, Suite 79. Indian. Raju Brahmbhatt’s modern, sophisticated restaurant will smash any negative stereotypes of Indian cuisine or the restaurants that serve it. It’s sleek and stylish, with a well-chosen wine list and a staff that’s eager to please. The food is elegant and refined and alive with the complex blend of spices that makes Indian cuisine so intriguing. Try Bagarey Baigan, plush-textured, thumb-sized baby eggplants in a lush coconut-curry sauce. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/362-2299. $$

Seasons 52—2300 Executive Center Drive.

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

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Six Tables a Restaurant—112 N.E. Second St., Boca Raton. American. Chef/owner Jonathan Fyhrie has a unique, elegant, one-seating, prix-fixe dinner and only six tables. The decor reflects the food, which is innovative in unexpected but attractive ways.

This 13-year-old restaurant’s staying power proves the pull of a beautiful space, amazing food and special attention from a talented staff. The velvety lobster bisque is a signature dish. The night’s options can include rack of lamb, filet au poivre, wild Scottish king salmon, crispy duck and more, all done beautifully. Plan on a two-to-three-hour dinner. It’s worth it. • Dinner nightly.

561/347-6260. $$$$ Sushi Ray —5250 Town Center Circle, Suite 111.

Japanese/Sushi. Impeccably fresh and exactingly prepared sushi and other Japanese specialties are on display. The Nobu-esque miso sea bass gives a taste of this modern classic at a fraction of the price of the original, while the chef’s sushi assortment offers a generous arrangement of nigiri and maki for a reasonable $22. • Lunch Mon.–Fri., dinner nightly. 561/394-9506. $$ Tanzy —301 Plaza Real. Italian. Part of the swanky iPic Theater complex (though it does not service the theater), this handsome spot relies on quality ingredients and careful preparation instead of culinary special effects and car chases. The Parma Bar, a sort of sushi bar for meat and cheese fanatics, also does terrific quattro formaggio fiocchi and spiced pear. The scarletta pepper steak and bone-in pork chops are excellent, as are the braised Angus beef short ribs with toasted pearl barley and collard greens. For dessert, try the red velvet bread pudding and your choice of a trio of sorbets.

• Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/922-6699. $$

Tap 42—5050 Town Center Circle, Suite 247.

Gastropub. This hugely popular nouveau-Industrial gastropub is not for the faint of eardrums when packed, but don’t let that discourage you. The kitchen here executes the hell out of a short, simple all-day menu. Grilled salmon chopped salad with tomatillo ranch dressing is delightful, as is guacamole studded with fat chunks of bacon and charred corn. Same goes for decadent shrimp mac-n-cheese. The wicked-good chocolate bread pudding with salted caramel sauce would be the envy of any Big Easy eatery. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/235-5819. $

Taverna Kyma—6298 N. Federal Highway.

Greek/Mediterranean. Few present Greek cuisine better. Expertly prepared dishes cover the spectrum of Mediterranean cuisine, from cold appetizers (dolmades—grape leaves stuffed with rice and herbs) to hot starters (spanakopita, baked phyllo with spinach and feta cheese) to mouthwatering entrées like lamb shank (slowcooked in a tomato sauce and served on a bed of orzo), massive stuffed peppers or kebobs. • Lunch Mon.-Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/994-2828. $$

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Temper Grille —9858 Clint Moore Road.

American tapas. Even though it’s a tapas place, the portions are large, so plan to share your dishes or take home leftovers. Try the Temper Yakisoba noodles spicy or hot, lamb pops, shrimp bites and steak chimmis. • Dinner Tues.-Sat. 561/717-8081. $$ Trattoria Romana —499 E. Palmetto Park Road. Italian. This local mainstay does Italian classics and its own lengthy list of ambitious specials with unusual skill and aplomb. The service is at a level not always seen in local eateries. Pay attention to the daily specials, especially if it includes impeccably done langostini oreganata and the restaurant’s signature jumbo shrimp saltimbocca. • Dinner nightly.

561/393-6715. $$$ Truluck’s—351 Plaza Real. Seafood. This stylish and sophisticated Mizner Park restaurant applies the steak house formula of classy, clubby ambience, formal service and an extensive wine list to seafood from across the nation, with great and consistent success. Crab is the specialty here and there are myriad versions—stone, Dungeness, Alaskan, soft-shell and more. Crispy softshells stuffed with crab and andouille are very good, if served without a drizzle of ketchup-y sauce on top. • Dinner nightly. 561/391-0755. $$$$

Twenty Twenty Grille —141 Via Naranjas, Suite 45. Contemporary American. You’ve probably licked postage stamps that are larger than Ron and Rhonda Weisheit’s tiny jewel box of a restaurant, but what it lacks in space it more than makes up for in charm, sophistication and imaginative, expertly crafted food. Virtually everything is made in-house, from the trio of breads that first grace your table to the pasta in a suave dish of tagliatelle with duck and chicken confit.

Don’t miss the jerk pork belly and grilled veal strip loin.

• Dinner nightly. 561/990-7969. $$$ Uncle Julio’s —449 Plaza Real, Mizner Park.

Mexican. Taking Tex-Mex cuisine gently upscale with better-quality ingredients and more skillful preparation, this colorful restaurant offers more than the usual suspects. You can get honey chipotle chicken fajitas, as well as beef fajitas, and one of the only palatable tamales around. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/300-3530. $$

Uncle Tai’s—5250 Town Center Circle. Chinese.

In an area with more cookie-cutter Chinese restaurants than cookies, Uncle Tai’s stands out for the elegance of its decor, the professionalism of its service and its careful preparation of familiar and less-familiar dishes.

The “specialties” section of the menu has exciting dishes like the sliced duck with plum sauce and the Hunan-style

lamb, whose seared and succulent meat shows off the kitchen’s skill in the use of wok qi. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/368-8806. $$

Villagio Italian Eatery —344 Plaza Real. Italian. The classic Italian comfort food at this Mizner Park establishment is served with flair and great attention to detail. The reasonably priced menu—with generous portions—includes all your favorites (veal Parmesan, Caesar salad) and some outstanding seafood dishes (Maine lobster with shrimp, mussels and clams on linguine). There is a full wine list and ample people-watching given the prime outdoor seating. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561-447-2257. $$ Vino —114 N.E. Second St. Wine Bar/Italian. An impressive wine list of some 200 bottles (all available by the glass) offers a multitude of choices, especially among Italian and California reds. The menu of “Italian tapas” includes roasted red peppers with Provolone, as well as ricotta gnocchi with San Marzano tomatoes. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/869-0030. $$

WEST BOCA City Fish Market—7940 Glades Road. Seafood. A multimillion-dollar remodel of the old Pete’s has

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turned it into an elegant seafood house with a lengthy seafood-friendly wine list, impeccably fresh fish and shellfish cooked with care and little artifice. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/487-1600. $$

daunting portions. In South Florida’s world of trendy and expensive bistros, this is a welcome relief. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/853-0090. $

Ditmas —21077 Powerline Road. Contemporary

eral Highway. Italian. Although famed chef and South Florida culinary godfather Mark Militello has moved along now from his stint at Josie’s, his magic in the kitchen of this cozy, old-school Italian restaurant has been duly noted. His influence is evident in the daily specials, but old favorites like beefy short rib meatballs, an upmarket version of the classic San Francisco cioppino, and Josie’s signature veal Bersaglieri (veal medallions with artichokes, olives and roasted peppers in lemon-white wine sauce) don’t fail to satisfy either. • Lunch Mon.-Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/364-9601. $$

kosher. This west Boca eatery is named after a Brooklyn avenue in a district known for its food. Here you’ll find very good food, and no dairy products are used. The menu is full of one-liners, so try the Not Stolen salmon with beat puree, The Butcher is Dead hangar steak, the Tony Fries (these are addictive) and the sangria. • Dinner Sun.-Thurs. 561/826-8875. $$$

Stone Crab Central

Prime Catch serves this seasonal seafood favorite as a single claw ($9) and a four-clawand-side entree.

La Ferme —9101 Lakeridge Blvd. French/Mediterranean. Classic style and classically oriented French cuisine come together at this elegant yet comfortable restaurant in a west Boca shopping mall.

Though there are a few Asian and Italian-inflected dishes on the menu, at its heart Le Ferme (“the farm”) is as French as the Eiffel Tower. Start with gougères, cheesy pastry puffs filled with béchamel; don’t miss the unconscionably savory cassoulet; and finish with pineapple upside-down cake. • Dinner nightly.

561/654-6600. $$$

Sybarite Pig —20642 State Road 7. Contemporary American. A labor of love, pork and beer, everything at the Pig but the coarse-grain mustard is made in-house, from the bread for sandwiches to the eclectic sauces to the variety of terrific sausages. Roasted bone marrow and wagyu duck fat burgers, along with subtly spicy “Hellswine,” are among the standouts. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. Brunch Sun. 561/883-3200. $

EDUARDO SCHNEIDER

Tempura House —9858 Clint Moore Road, #C-

Chef Daniel Naumko of The Sybarite Pig

112. Japanese/Asian. Dark wood, rice paper and tiles fill the space. An appetizer portion of Age Natsu, fried eggplant, is a consummate Japanese delicacy. Don’t miss the ITET roll with shrimp tempura and avocado, topped with spicy mayo, tempura flakes and eel sauce. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/883-6088. $$

Villa Rosano —9858 Clint Moore Road. Italian.

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

561/470-0112. $$

BOYNTON BEACH Bar Louie —1500 Gateway Blvd., #100.

Eclectic. Attempting to split the difference between happening bar and American café, Bar Louie in the sprawling Renaissance Commons complex mostly succeeds, offering burgers, pizzas, fish tacos and a variety of salads, all at moderate prices and in truly bocamag.com

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Josie’s Italian Ristorante—1602 S. Fed-

Prime Catch—700 E. Woolbright Road. Seafood.

Waterfront restaurants are few and far between in our neck of the woods, and those with good food are even more rare. Prime Catch, at the foot of the Woolbright bridge on the Intracoastal, is a best-kept secret. The simple pleasures here soar—a perfectly grilled piece of mahi or bouillabaisse overflowing with tender fish. Don’t miss one of the best Key lime pies around. • Lunch and dinner daily, Sunday brunch. 561/737-8822. $$ Sushi Simon—1614 S. Federal Highway. Japanese. It’s been called “Nobu North” by some aficionados, and for good reason. Local sushi-philes jam the narrow dining room for such impeccable nigirizushi as hamachi and uni (Thursdays), as well as more elaborate dishes like snapper Morimoto and tuna tartare. Creative, elaborate rolls are a specialty. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/731-1819. $$

DELRAY BEACH 3rd and 3rd—301 N.E. Third Ave. Gastropub.

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

32 East—32 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. There are trendier, flashier, more celebrated restaurants than this beacon of vibrant modern American cuisine in downtown Delray, but there are no better restaurants anywhere in South Florida. The menu changes daily, but still look for items like the sublime black truffle-Gruyère pizza and the venison-wild boar sausage duo, which is the stuff of carnivorous fantasies. For dessert, the chocolate-peanut butter semifreddo is truly wicked in its unabashed lusciousness. • Dinner daily.

561/276-7868. $$$

50 Ocean —50 S. Ocean Blvd. Seafood. The former Upper Deck at Boston’s on the Beach is now the

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more upscale, seafood-oriented spot. The menu ranges from familiar to slightly more inventive, from a classic lobster bisque and crisp-tender fried clam bellies to rock shrimp pot pie and baked grouper topped with blue crab. The cinnamon-dusted beignets are puffs of amazingly delicate deep-fried air and should not under any circumstances be missed. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. Brunch Sun. 561/278-3364. $$

Early Dinner

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

Apeiro Kitchen & Bar —14917 Lyons Road.

Mediterranean. West Delray diners have another reason to stay in their neighborhood with this stylish, contemporary Mediterranean eatery. Apeiro’s menu spans the entire Mediterranean, with dishes like Moroccan-spiced lamb ribs, 14-ounce double-cut pork chops, and fluffy meatballs adorned with tomato sauce, ricotta and pesto. The apple crostata, baked in a wood-burning oven, is one of the best desserts in town. • Dinner nightly. 561/501-4443. $$

5:30-6:15 pm • 3 Course Menu

$21.90

also try our $10

lunch

Polo Club Shoppes 5030 Champion Blvd. #D3, Boca Raton, FL 33496

(561) 997-0027

www.ChezMarieFrenChBistro.CoM

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

The Banyan—189 N.E. Second Ave. American.

Snuggled under its namesake banyan tree in Pineapple Grove, this modern restaurant boasts a bright pink neon bar with bright cocktails, too. Try the purple Aviation gin cocktail paired with the Maryland crab bites or the Yum Yum Shrimp with spicy-sweet sriracha aioli. Sliders, tacos, mac trios and flatbreads do not disappoint. Order the crème brûlée cheesecake if it’s available. • 561/563-8871. $$

Voted Delray Beach Restaurant of the Year in 2014 and 2015 Trip Advisor Award of Excellence 2012-2017 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence 2003-2016

South Florida’s Top Seaside Italian Restaurant

Brulé Bistro —200 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. While the regular menu of this Pineapple Grove hipster hangout always has satisfying dishes (filet mignon carpaccio, seared tuna poke, seared diver scallops, slow-cooked lamb pappardelle), the nightly specials will amaze: beef Oscar, Tangier crusted yellowfin tuna. Oh, and the Meyer lemon tart? ‘Nuff said. Outside tables offer the best option for conversation. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-2046. $$

34 S. Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach • 561-274-9404 caffelunarosa.com • facebook.com/caffelunarosa Serving Our Brunch & Dinner Menu 7 Days Valet Parking Available

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Buddha Sky Bar —217 E. Atlantic Ave. #3. Pan Asian. Don’t miss a meal at this stylish Asia-meets-industrial chic spot with a view of the Delray skyline. Chinese-influenced dim sum is inspired, while rock shrimp tempura and Tokyo beef skewers with twin chimichurri sauces touch the heart and the taste buds. Veggie fried rice is exemplary thanks to the kitchen’s application of wok chi. • Dinner nightly.

561/450-7557. $$

Burt & Max’s —9089 W. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Burt Rapoport and Dennis Max have struck gold with their first collaboration in years, bringing an accessible and affordable brand of contemporary comfort food to west Delray. A few dishes from Max’s other eatery, Max’s Grille, have made the trek, like the hearty chopped salad and bacon-wrapped meatloaf. Other dishes are variations on the comfort food theme, including a stellar truffle-scented wild mushroom pizza. • Dinner nightly.

Sunday brunch. 561/638-6380. $$

Chow Down, Give Back

With Dada chef Bruce Feingold’s new Healthy Bellies charity, diners can add tip-style donations at the end of their meal, which will feed low-income families.

Cabana El Rey —105 E. Atlantic Ave. Cuban tropical. Little Havana is alive and well in Delray. The menu is a palette-pleasing travelogue, including starters like mariquitas (fried banana chips) and main courses such as seafood paella (think mussels, shrimp, clams, conch, scallops and octopus). • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/274-9090. $$ Cabo Flats—Delray Marketplace, 14851 Lyons Road. Mexican. Mexican cuisine often has more personas than Madonna. This highly stylized cantina adds another—that of California’s Chicano culture. All your favorite Mexican dishes are there, as well as enormous margaritas, but also niftier items like the crispy tuna tacos.

Try the restaurant’s famous avocado fries with garlic and cilantro, and finish off with Captain Crunch deep-fried ice cream. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/499-0378. $

AARON BRISTOL

Caffe Luna Rosa—34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray

Ceviche from Cabana El Rey

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

561-274-9404. $$

City Oyster —213 E. Atlantic Ave. Seafood. This stylish mainstay of Big Time Restaurant Group serves up reasonably priced seafood that never disappoints, such as shrimp and grits with jumbo crab cake and jalapeño cheddar grits. • Lunch Mon.–Sun. Dinner nightly. Outdoor dining. 561/272-0220. $$

Cut 432 —432 E. Atlantic Ave. Steakhouse. Hipper decor, a more casual vibe and an inventive take on steak-house favorites make this sleek restaurant just bocamag.com

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different enough to be interesting. Starters such as ceviche (prepared Peruvian style) and ultrarich oysters Rockefeller are first-rate, while the wet-aged beef is appropriately tender and tasty. • Dinner nightly.

561/272-9898. $$$

Dada—52 N. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. The same provocative, whimsical creativity that spawned Dada the art movement infuses Dada the restaurant, giving it a quirky charm all its own. The comfort food with a moustache menu has its quirky charms, too, like shake-n-bake pork chops with sweet-savory butterscotch onions, and a brownie-vanilla ice cream sundae with strips of five-spice powdered bacon. The wittily decorated 1920s-vintage house-turned-restaurant is, as they say, a trip. • Dinner nightly. 561/330-3232. $$

Deck 84—840 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Burt Rapoport’s ode to laid-back tropical dining is like a day at the beach without getting sand between your toes. Though the restaurant is casual, the kitchen takes its food seriously, whether the stellar flatbreads, the thick and juicy 10-ounce special blend burger or homey seasonal cobbler. And the waterfront location just seems to make everything taste better. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 561/665-8484. $

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

Fifth Avenue Grill—821 S. Federal Highway.

American. Since 1989, this upscale tavern has been a Delray favorite. The straightforward menu focuses on entrées like lamb osso buco and tenderloin brochette teriyaki. Add a lobster tail for good measure. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/265-0122. $$

The Grove —187 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Chef-partner Michael Haycook and chef Meghan O’Neal change their menu biweekly, turning out dishes exhilarating in their freshness, creativity and elegant simplicity. An appetizer of octopus with olive oil, crushed potato aioli and lemon is outstanding. • Dinner Tues.–Sat. 561/266-3750. $$ Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar—1841 S. Federal Highway. American. You don’t have to worry about calories (most dishes are under 500), you don’t have to worry about finding something you haven’t tried before (new items are added every three months) and freshness is the silent ingredient throughout.

Try the pesto Caprese flatbread, the supergrain salad and the steak or salmon or chicken. Desserts offer big tastes in

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Buzz Bites III Chef Paul Collange offers a selection of timeless French classics in a warm and friendly environment, which is sure to delight your senses and your palate.

Open for Dinner 7 Days: 5:00pm-9:00pm

450 NE 20 St • Shore Centre • Boca Raton • 561-620-0033 Reservations by text message: 561-715-1227

www.restaurantlerivage.com

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BACK TO SC HOOL • GHOST STORIES • LA NE KIFFIN NG SPRI

Fl

Magazine Ass oc ida or

ion iat

BOC AMA

G.CO M

T

he streamlined, modern MIA Kitchen & Bar in west Delray Beach was a long time coming.

When Executive Chef Blake Malatesta left Delray’s 50 Ocean in mid-2016, his many fans were excited to hear he’d helm a new restaurant, and waited.

And waited. Finally, Malatesta and MIA Proprieter/CEO and restaurateur Joey LoGrasso threw open the doors to this cozy place in late summer 2017, and it was welcomed by those who had missed Malatesta meals.

MIA (Modern, Inventive, Authentic) continues the chef’s knack for using local sources and crafts great combinations of tastes that pull you back for more. LoGrasso is known for his other MIA locations: Mamma Mia’s Trattoria (Lake Worth), Mamma Mia’s Trattoria Express (Boynton Beach) and Every Event Catering by MIA Brands.

Malatesta is a hands-on chef. No standing around sipping wine for him; he’s in front of the pizza oven, behind the plating station, checking on the drinks and generally being everywhere at once. MIA is on West Atlantic Avenue, not quite as far west as Delray Marketplace, and worth the drive.

(7901 W. Atlantic Ave., Suite 101, Delray Beach; 561/499-2200; mia.kitchen)

PAPPHOTO

MIA Brings Blake Malatesta back to the table in Delray Beach

2017

small jars. • Lunch and dinner daily; brunch on weekends.

561/266-3239. $$

Henry’s—16850 Jog Road. American. This casual,

fall

unpretentious restaurant from Burt Rapoport in the west part of town never fails to delight diners. Expect attentive service and crisp execution of everything—from meat loaf, burgers and fried chicken to flatbreads and hefty composed salads. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly.

561/638-1949. $$

Style

GET YOUR FI RST LOOK!

HOME DESIGN TRENDS TAILGA MADNESSTE!

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House of Siam —25 N.E. Second Ave., #116. Thai. The normally riotous flavors of Thai cuisine are muted at this family-friendly downtown spot, but that seems to suit diners just fine. Dishes, well-prepared and generously portioned, include steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings with sweet soy dipping sauce and crisp-fried duck breast in a very mild red curry sauce. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/330-9191. $$ Il Girasole —2275 S. Federal Highway. Northern Italian. This South Florida classic is not trendy, but it offers a level of comfort and consistency that has been bringing people back for more than three decades. The food is fine hearty Italian, with excellent service. Try the veal Kristy or the calves brains. • Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-3566. $$

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

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

561/865-5774. $$ Racks’ fish tacos

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

Leave Room

Racks Fish House now offers a gingersnap ice cream sandwich dessert.

True culinary professionals turn out gently updated and classically oriented dishes notable for the quality of their ingredients and careful preparation. Sweetbreads in chanterelle cream sauce are glorious; a barely grilled artichoke with mustardy remoulade is gloriously simple.

Watching your server skillfully debone an impeccably fresh Dover sole is almost as satisfying as eating it. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/265-0600. $$

Lemongrass Bistro—420 E. Atlantic Ave. PanAsian. Casually hip ambience, friendly service, moderate prices and a blend of sushi and nouveau pan-Asian fare make this a popular destination. The quality of its seafood and care in its preparation are what gives Lemongrass its edge. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/278-5050. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton, 561/544-8181; 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach, 561/733-1344). $ Max’s Harvest—169 N.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. Dennis Max, instrumental in bringing the chef and ingredient-driven ethos of California cuisine to South Florida in the 1980s, is again at the forefront of the fresh, local, seasonal culinary movement. Max’s Harvest

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soars with dishes like savory bourbon-maple glazed pork belly. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/381-9970. $$

The Office —201 E. Atlantic Ave. Contemporary American. Your office is nothing like this eclectic gastropub, unless your office sports more than two dozen craft beers on tap and a menu that flits from burgers and fries to mussels. Don’t miss the restaurant’s winning take on the thick, juicy Prime beef burger and simply wicked maple-frosted donuts with bacon bits and two dipping sauces. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/276-3600. $$ Park Tavern—32 S.E. Second Ave. Contemporary American. The guys from Cut 432 have done it again with this hip, casual modern American tavern. The menu is tightly focused and tightly executed, whether Maryland crab cakes featuring fat chunks of succulent crab or the behemoth slab of tender, juicy prime rib for a near-saintly $29. Don’t miss the decadent soft pretzel bites. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sat.–Sun. 561/265-5093. $$

Prime—29 S.E Second Ave. Steak/Seafood. Prime is aptly named for its heart of the action location, classy neo-supper club decor, extensive wine list and roster of designer steaks. Starters and desserts fare better than entrées, especially plump, crabby Maryland-style crab cakes and indecently luscious chocolate bread pudding. Service is a strong suit too, so with a bit of work this good-looking restaurant will fully live up to its name. • Dinner nightly. 561/865-5845. $$$ Racks Fish House + Oyster Bar —5 S.E. Second Ave. Seafood. Gary Rack, who also has scored with his spot in Mizner Park, certainly seems to have the restaurant Midas touch, as evidenced by this updated throwback to classic fish houses. Design, ambience and service hit all the right notes. Oysters are terrific any way you get them; grilled fish and daily specials are excellent. • Lunch and dinner daily.

561/450-6718. $$$ Sundy House —106 S. Swinton Ave. Contemporary American. It’s fine dining served in arguably the most beautiful restaurant and gardens in Delray. Menus are seasonal and imaginative. Try any of the fresh local fish dishes. • Lunch Tues.–Sat. Brunch Sun. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/272-5678. $$

Taverna Opa —270 E. Atlantic Ave. Greek.

Yes, you can order a side of belly dancing and napkin tossing with your moussaka and baklava at this chain.

But the moussaka and baklava are very good; so is the rest of the food at the downtown Delray outpost.

Also worth your while (and appetite) are appetizers like melitzanosalata, whipped eggplant with orange zest and roasted red pepper, and tarama, a creamy emulsion of bread, olive oil and salmon roe. Whole grilled bronzino is finished with lemon and orange juices for a citrusy flavor boost, while tongue-tying galaktoboureko goes baklava one better by adding va-

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The World’s Finest Man Made Gems nilla-scented custard to golden, flaky phyllo. • Dinner nightly. 561/303-3602. $$

Terra Fiamma—9169 W. Atlantic Ave. Italian.

The pleasures of simple, hearty, well-prepared Italian-American cuisine are front and center at Wendy Rosano’s latest venture. Among the pleasures you should enjoy are delicate, pillow-y veal meatballs in Marsala sauce; lusty chicken Allessandro with mushrooms, spinach and artichoke hearts; and a finely crafted tiramisu that’s as satisfying as it is familiar. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/495-5570. $$

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

Vic & Angelo’s—290 E. Atlantic Ave. Italian. Giving old-school Italian eateries a modest jolt of more contemporary cuisine and more youthful ambience has proved a winning formula for V&A. Best bets include succulent little baked clams, lusty and hugely portioned rigatoni with “Sunday gravy,” and lemon and caper-scented chicken cooked under a brick. Tiramisu is delicious, as is the Italian version of doughnut holes, zeppole. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Brunch Sat.–Sun. Dinner nightly. 844/842-2632. $$

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

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

(Tues.–Sun. during summer). 561/585-0320. $$

Rose Glamoclija, R.N. Founder and Administrator

Paradiso Ristorante —625 Lucerne Ave.

Safire Asian Fusion—817 Lake Ave. PanAsian. This stylish little restaurant offers food that gently marries East and West, plus a roster of more traditional Thai dishes and inventive sushi rolls. Menu standouts include tempura-fried rock shrimp or calamari cloaked with a lush-fiery “spicy cream sauce.” Among the newer items are panang curry and duck noodle soup. Expect neighborly service and reasonable prices. • Lunch Tues.–Fri. Dinner Tues.–Sun. 561/588-7768. $

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Italian. A Tomasz Rut mural dominates the main dining room, and there is also a pasticceria and bar for gelato and espresso. Chef Angelo Romano offers a modern Italian menu. The Mediterranean salt-crusted branzino is definitely a must-try. Plus, the wine list is a veritable tome. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/547-2500. $$$

(561) 833-3430

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LANTANA The Station House —233 Lantana Road.

Seafood. If you’re hungry for Maine lobster, plucked live out of giant tanks and cooked to order, this modest replica of a 1920s train station is the place to go.

Lobsters come in all sizes (up to 6 pounds) and are so reasonably priced that getting a taste of one without reservations is highly unlikely. • Dinner nightly.

561/547-9487. $$$

PALM BEACH Bice —313 Worth Ave. Italian. Bice continues to hold the title of favorite spot on the island. The venerable restaurant offers a marvelous array of risottos and fresh pastas and classic dishes like veal chop Milanese, pounded chicken breast and roasted rack of lamb. The wine list features great vintages. • Lunch and dinner daily. Outdoor dining. 561/835-1600. $$$ Buccan —350 S. County Road. Contemporary American. Casual elegance of Palm Beach meets modern culinary sensibilities of Miami at the first independent restaurant by chef Clay Conley. The design offers both intimate and energetic dining areas, while the menu is by turn familiar (wood-grilled burgers) and

RESTAURANT DIRECTORY

more adventurous (truffled steak tartare with crispy egg yolk, squid ink orrechiette). • Dinner nightly.

561/833-3450. $$$

Café Boulud—The Brazilian Court, 301 Australian Ave. French with American flair. This hotel restaurant gives Palm Beach a taste of Daniel Boulud’s world-class cuisine inspired by his four muses. The chef oversees a menu encompassing classics, simple fare, seasonal offerings and dishes from around the world. Dining is in the courtyard (not available during summer), the elegant lounge or the sophisticated dining room. • Dinner nightly.

561/655-6060. $$$

Café L’Europe —331 S. County Road.

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

Chez Jean-Pierre —132 N. County Road.

French. Sumptuous cuisine, attentive servers and a seeand-be-seen crowd are hallmarks of one of the island’s

premier restaurants. Indulgences include scrambled eggs with caviar and the Dover sole meunière filleted tableside. When your waiter suggests profiterolles au chocolat or hazelnut soufflé, say, mais oui! • Dinner Mon.–Sat. 561/833-1171. $$$

Echo—230A Sunrise Ave. Asian. The cuisine reverberates with the tastes of China, Thailand, Japan and Vietnam. The Chinese hot and sour soup is unlike any other, and the sake list is tops. This offsite property of The Breakers is managed with the same flawlessness as the resort. • Dinner nightly (during season). 561/802-4222. $$$

HMF—1 S. County Road. Contemporary American.

Beneath the staid, elegant setting of The Breakers, HMF is the Clark Kent of restaurants, dishing an extensive array of exciting, inventive, oh-so-contemporary small plates. Don’t depart without sampling the dreamy warm onion-Parmesan dip with house-made fingerling potato chips, the sexy wild boar empanaditas, chicken albondigas tacos and Korean-style short ribs. The wine list is encyclopedic. • Dinner nightly. 561/290-0104. $$

Imoto —350 S. County Road. Asian Fusion/Tapas.

Clay Conley’s “little sister” (the translation of Imoto from Japanese) is next to his always-bustling Buccan. Imoto turns out Japanese-inspired small plates with big-city

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Jové Kitchen & Bar—2800 S. Ocean Blvd. Contemporary Italian. Jové is named for the Italian god of the sky, and when the folks at the tony Four Seasons decided to remake their premier restaurant, they reached high to offer the kind of food, service and ambience that would appeal to both their affluent older clientele and a younger, hipper, foodie-oriented crowd. Mission accomplished with dishes like the inventive take on octopus marinated and grilled with baby fennel, red pepper sauce, artichoke and olives.

Desserts sparkle too. • Dinner nightly. 561/533-3750. $$ Leopard Lounge and Restaurant—The Chesterfield Palm Beach, 363 Cocoanut

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sophistication, like witty Peking duck tacos and decadent tuna and foie gras sliders. Sushi selection is limited but immaculately fresh. • Dinner nightly. 561/833-5522. $$

Row. American. The restaurant offers excellent food in a glamorous and intimate club-like atmosphere. In fact, it’s advisable to make early reservations if a quiet dinner is the objective; the place becomes a late-night cocktail spot after 9. The menu is equally decadent. • Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner daily. 561/659-5800. $$

roasted cauliflower is an intriguing starter, while a meaty Niman Ranch short rib atop lobster risotto takes surf-n-turf to a new level. Cast your diet to the winds and order the dessert sampler. • Dinner nightly. 561/354-9800. $$$$

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

Meat Market—191 Bradley Place. Steakhouse.

Ta-boo—2221 Worth Ave. American. This self-described “American bistro” is less typical “American” restaurant or classical French “bistro” than it is posh-casual refuge for the see-and-be-seen crowd in and around Palm Beach. The eclectic menu offers everything from roasted duck with orange blossom honey-ginger sauce to dry-aged steaks and an assortment of pizzas. • Lunch and dinner daily. 561/835-3500. $$

“Meat Market” may be an inelegant name for a very elegant and inventive steakhouse but there’s no dissonance in its food, service or ambience. Multiple cuts of designer beef from multiple sources can be gilded with a surprising array of sauces, butters and upscale add-ons. Whole

Trevini Ristorante —290 Sunset Ave. Italian. Expect a warm experience, complemented by a stately but comfortable room and excellent food. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/833-3883. $$$

DEL POTRO|RAONIC BRYANS|KYRGIOS TUES, 2/20, 8:00PM

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WEST PALM BEACH Banko Cantina —114 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach. Northern Mexican. Start with the Adelita cocktail and don’t look back. The bacon-wrapped shrimp, the Al Carbon steak tacos and the house guacamole add up to a full-flavor dinner. The west-facing rooftop bar is a nice sunset option, and the Pan de Elote (homemade sweet cornbread with vanilla ice cream and berries) is a delightful end to the evening. • Dinner daily. 561/355-1399. $$ Café Centro—2409 N. Dixie Highway. Italian.

There are many things to like about this modest little osteria—the unpretentious ambiance, piano Thursday through Saturday during season, the fine service, the robust portions and relatively modest prices. And, of course, the simple, satisfying Italian cuisine. The kitchen breathes new life into hoary old fried calamari, gives fettucine con pollo a surprisingly delicate herbed cream sauce, gilds snowy fillets of grouper with a soulful Livornese. • Lunch Mon.–Sat. Dinner nightly. 561/514-4070. $$

ROB WOODHAM

Grato —1901 S. Dixie Highway. Italian. “Grato”

The interior at Grato

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

561/404-1334. $$

Leila—120 S. Dixie Highway. Mediterranean. Flowing drapes and industrial lighting complete the exotic decor in this Middle Eastern hit. Sensational hummus is a must-try. Lamb kebab with parsley, onion and spices makes up the delicious Lebanese lamb kefta. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner Mon.–Sun. 561/659-7373. $$ Marcello’s La Sirena—6316 S. Dixie Highway. Italian. You’re in for a treat if the pasta of the day is prepared with what might be the best Bolognese sauce ever. • Dinner Mon.–Sat. (closed Memorial Day– Labor Day). 561/585-3128. $$ Because You Can’t Pick Just One

Southern specialties at The Regional Kitchen include the “meat ‘n three”—a heavy centerpiece with three side dishes.

Pistache—1010 N. Clematis St., #115. French.

Pistache doesn’t just look like a French bistro, it cooks like one. The menu includes such bistro specialties as coq au vin and steak tartare. All that, plus guests dining al fresco have views of the Intracoastal Waterway and Centennial Park. • Brunch Sat.–Sun. Lunch and dinner daily. 561/833-5090. $$

The Regional Kitchen & Public House —651 Okeechobee Blvd. Southern with Mediterranean twist. Across from the PBC

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Convention Center and next to Kravis Center for the Performing Arts means it’s a shoe-in for an excellent pre-theater meal. Or a post-theater drink and nosh.

Executive Chef/Co-owner Lindsay Autry’s version of pimento cheese (prepared tableside), fried chicken, pickled shrimp and tomato pie are dishes you thought you knew, until you try these. Memorable, delectable comfort food, and bartenders who know what they’re doing. • 561/557-6460. $$

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

Rocco’s Tacos—224 Clematis St. Mexican. Big Time Restaurant Group has crafted a handsome spot that dishes Mexican favorites, as well as upscale variations on the theme and more than 200 tequilas. Tacos feature house-made tortillas and a variety of proteins. • Lunch Mon.–Fri. Dinner nightly. 561/650-1001. (Other Palm Beach County locations: 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, 561/416-2131; 110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561/808-1100; 5090 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, 561/623-0127) $

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

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

Consistency can be an issue with the food, but when it is good it is very good. • Breakfast and lunch daily, dinner Tues.-Sat., brunch Sun. 954/857-2929. $$$ Oceans 234—234 N. Ocean Blvd., Deerfield Beach. Contemporary American. One of the only oceanfront (as in, on the beach) options in South Florida, this familiar-with-a-twist venue is fun to both visit and eat. Try the Infamous Lollipop Chicken

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Wings, a starter that could be an entrée. Seafood is definitely top-shelf, as are the desserts. A true Florida experience. • Lunch and dinner daily.

954/428-2539. $$

Tamarind Asian Grill & Sushi Bar —949 S. Federal Highway. Asian. Quiet and soothing, this multicultural venue serves sushi, sashimi, yakitori and wide-ranging Japanese appetizers. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/428-8009. $$

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Le Bistro—4626 N. Federal Highway. Modern

Seafood World—4602 N. Federal Highway. Seafood. This seafood market and restaurant offers some of the freshest seafood in the county.

Its unpretentious atmosphere is the perfect setting for the superb king crab, Maine lobster, Florida lobster tails and much more. Tangy Key lime pie is a classic finish. • Lunch and dinner daily. 954/9420740. $$$

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French. The menu is modern and healthy—98 percent glutin-free, according to chef/owner Andy Trousdale. Check out the prix-fixe menu, which includes pan-roasted duck to beef Wellington. • Dinner Tues.– Sun. 954/946-9240. $$$

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POMPANO BEACH Calypso Restaurant—460 S. Cypress

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

Darrel & Oliver’s Café Maxx — 2601 E. Atlantic Blvd. American. The longstanding institution from chef Oliver Saucy is as good now as when it opened in the mid-1980s. Main courses offer complex flavor profiles, such as the sweet-onion-crusted yellowtail snapper on Madeira sauce over mashed potatoes. Parts of the menu change daily. • Dinner nightly. Brunch Sunday. 954/782-0606. $$$

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THE SCENE B O C A’ S BA L L R O O M BAT T L E W I N E & A L L T H AT J A Z Z S T. A N D R E W S C A R E S BAC K PAC K B R O WA R D D R I V E

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Aleksandr Skarlato and Elizabeth Murdoch Titcomb dancing to “I’m a Believer” by Smash Mouth.

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John C. Tolbert accepts the trophy for the Men’s Fundraising Division with more than $194,000 raised.

10TH ANNUAL BOCA’S BALLROOM BATTLE WHAT: The George Snow Scholarship Fund did it again: another spectacular night of eight community leaders showing off their newly acquired ballroom dancing skills to raise money for underprivileged youth who want to attend college. Records were broken, cocktails and Champagne were poured, auction items were raffled and attendees cheered their favorite hoofers.

Heather Shaw and James Brann dance to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer.”

WHERE: Boca Raton Resort & Club

VIVIANA PUGA

Terry Fedele was the Ladies Fundraising Division winner, raising more than $124,000.

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James Brann and Terry Fedele dancing to “Feeling Good” by Michael Bublé.

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Aleksandr Skarlato and Lisa Kornstein Kaufman dancing to “Stand by You” by Rachel Platten.

Sayra Vazquez Brann and John C. Tolbert perform their dance to “King of Wishful Thinking” by Go West.

Kelli McLeod, event emcee Paige Kornblue, Morgan Green, Elizabeth Murdoch Titcomb, Danielle Hollander, Victoria Bradley, Marion Godin

Michael Budd and Elizabeth Kelly Grace at the after-party in the Palm Court.

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Loreta Kriksciukaityte and Jim Dunn dancing to “I Wish”

by Stevie Wonder.

Professional dancer Loreta Kriksciukaityte and Jim Dunn at the after-party.

Logan Skees and Sayra Vazquez Brann performed the final dance to Aerosmith’s “Dream On.”

10TH ANNUAL BOCA’S BALLROOM BATTLE Patti Carpenter, Joanne Williams, Nicole Flier

VIVIANA PUGA

Loreta Kriksciukaityte and Derek Morrell performing to “Runnin’ on a Dream” by Tom Petty.

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December 2017

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Troy McLellan, Kristi Lee Boyles, Lise Orr, Chuck Stout, Alyssa Stout

Pamela and Robert Weinroth

WINE & ALL THAT JAZZ WHAT: This signature Boca Chamber Festival Days event co-sponsored

by JM Lexus was as ritzy as it sounds. Hundreds of guests danced the night away while enjoying more than 100 fine wines with all-youcan-eat bites and all-you-can-drink tastings. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the chamber’s nonprofit, the Golden Bell Education Foundation, which provides programming and support for Boca’s public schools.

WHERE: Boca Raton Resort & Club

CARLOS ARISTIZABAL

George Petrocelli, Ethel Isaacs Williams

Neil and Susan Haynie

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Joe and Rosie Martin

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Cruz, Charle Bella, Arielle, Logan

Ron Gallatin, chairman, president and CEO of Hands on Tzedakah

ST. ANDREWS CARES WHAT: In the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, members of the St. Andrews Country Club raised more than $98,000 in cash and supply donations for the victims of the catastrophic hurricane. Water, paper towels and other provisions were distributed to people in need by the Hands on Tzedakah organization, a nonprofit that is dedicated to supporting life-sustaining programs. Some of the money collected was used to purchase supplies, which included 24,192 bottles of water.

4-year-old Jackson and St. Andrews Country Club Board President Steve Irwin

WHERE: St. Andrews Country Club

KRISTEN PFEIFER

L-R front row: Ellen Liebman, Alice Newman Friedman, Wendy Kohansky, Paul Clivio, Karen Irwin. L-R back row: Ed Rice, Larry Altschul, Steve Irwin, Craig Martin

Andrea Kline

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#BACKPACKBROWARD DRIVE WHAT: The United Way of Broward County collected more than 30,000 school supplies, which were donated to 10 agencies—including the Boys & Girls Club, Jack & Jill Children’s Center and the Jubilee Center of South Broward—that distributed them to students who might not have been able to afford the necessary school items.

Kaplan, which helped run the #BackpackBroward Drive, donated 20,000 school supplies to the cause.

WHERE: Fort Lauderdale Johanna and Eric Moses

UNITED WAY OF BROWARD COUNTY

Volunteers for The Eppy Group, which benefited from the drive

Tera Hill, the high school program director at Firewall Centers

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Kaplan College staff

Shanice Traylor, a case manager at the Crockett Foundation, with students at Margate Middle School

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SAVETHEDATE

April 6 & 7, 2018

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THE LOCAL

CITY WATCH

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 72

Three days after Irma, company officials said heavy traffic crashed the site. Imagine that. A massive storm leaves millions without electricity, and they have the nerve to hold accountable the company that promised real-time information.

Doesn’t FPL run such simulations and give the website enough capacity?

But if we—sometimes correctly—assign blame for hurricane problems on government, what about assigning blame to ourselves?

Buy water and supplies in mid-June, not when South Florida is in the forecast cone. Kept cool, bottled water won’t react with plastic. If you don’t use the water, drink it in November to celebrate getting though the season. Or dump it on your plants.

Assume, like your elected officials, that problems are coming.You always can use batteries.

Canned soup will last until the Dolphins win another Super Bowl. Fill your gas tank when you start getting a twitch, not night sweats.

South Florida’s flood control system has three tiers. In the first are the South Florida Water Management District’s canals, pump stations and other structures that make almost every-

thing west of the coastal ridge habitable. In the second tier are the canals of the Lake Worth Drainage District and other similar agencies.

Like the water management district, they levy a small tax to help us above water.

The third tier includes neighborhood canals.

They’re smaller, but they also are not the responsibility of professional water managers.

Homeowner associations monitor these canals.

Failure to keep them clean can increase the chance of local flooding.

In March 2016, this area in general and Boca Raton in particular got unusually heavy and prolonged rains. At one point I looked at my street in Camino Lakes and wondered why water was backing up more than it had during Tropical Storm Irene in 1999.

Because it was spring, the many oak trees in our neighborhood had been dropping thick layers of pollen. The rains had washed the pollen down the street and on top of the storm drain, forming a blanket that kept water from getting through. I raked off the pollen, the drain started sucking down the water, and soon the street was clear.

I cite this example only because I’ve spent decades writing about water and flood control.

Cities must do more to educate residents about the artificial system that keeps our homes dry.

No area could handle the rains of a Harvey, but awareness can reduce the harm from a wet hurricane that parks over South Florida.

At deadline for this article, two new tropical systems had formed. When you read this, I hope that Irma is all we had to deal with—and that we learn the storm’s lessons.

By the way, Mayor Haynie stayed at the city’s emergency operations center throughout Irma.

December 2017 issue. Vol. 37, No. 9. The following are trademarks in the state of Florida of JES Media, and any use of these trademarks without the express written consent of JES Media is strictly prohibited: Savor the Avenue; Tastemakers of Delray; Tastemakers at Mizner; Florida Style and Design; Delray Beach magazine; Boca Raton, South Florida At Its Best; bocamag.com; Florida Table; Boca Raton magazine. Boca (ISSN0740-2856) is published nine times a year (September/October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May/June and July/August) by JES Media.

Editorial, advertising and administrative offices: 1000 Clint Moore Road, Suite 103, Boca Raton, FL, 33487. Telephone: 561/997-8683.

Please address all editorial and advertising correspondence to the above address. Periodicals postage paid at Boca Raton, Fla., and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions: $19.95/9 issues, $29.95/18 issues (shipping fee included for one- and two-year rates). Single copy $5.95. No whole or part of the content may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission of Boca magazine, excepting individually copyrighted articles and photographs. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Boca magazine, P.O. Box 820, Boca Raton, FL 33429-9943.

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Boca Raton magazine's

insider ADVERTISING • PROMOTIONS • EVENTS

Dec. 14

COSA DUCI ITALIAN ARTISAN BAKERY CAFE

Located in east Boca, this unique bakery and café specializes in delicious artisan food, desserts and coffee. It’s a secret hidden spot where you can meet foodies, coffee lovers and lots of Italians. You won’t find quality like this anywhere else.

141 N.W. 20th St., #B-21, Boca Raton 561/393-1201 • cosaduci.com

Feb.5

GRAND REOPENING OF ELIES FINE JEWELRY AND LAUNCH OF BOCA'S BEST DESIGNER CONSIGNMENT

Celebrating and appreciating 25 years in business with friends and associates. Come join us Thursday, December 14 between 5-9pm for refreshments, hors d'oeuvres and music.

We invite you to browse our new Designer Consignment department featuring the "Best of Boca" previously enjoyed handbags, shoes, accessories and more.

Located in Regency Court at Woodfield, 3011 Yamato Road A-18, Boca Raton, FL 33434 561/997-2033 • eliesfinejewelry.net

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TICKETS ON

SALE NOW

FOOD NETWORK & COOKING CHANNEL SOUTH BEACH WINE & FOOD FESTIVAL (SOBEWFF®) The 17th annual Food Network & Cooking Channel South Beach Wine & Food Festival returns to EAT. DRINK. EDUCATE. February 21–25, 2018, featuring more than 90 events, including fan-favorite soirées, an array of new parties and intimate dining experiences, expanded CRAVE Greater Fort Lauderdale Series and more.

877/762-3933 • sobewff.org

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REID TRAVEL

Now is the perfect time to book your Silversea cruise with Reid Travel! Enjoy FREE Roundtrip Economy Air or Business Class from just $599 each way. Experience Silversea’s unmatched all-inclusive luxury at sea and enjoy additional savings with the Reid Travel Advantage on all European voyages.

326 East Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33432 561/395-6670 • reidtravel.com

11/9/17 12:16 PM

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MY TURN

Gifts From the Heart One Boca couple embodies the spirit of the season Written by JOHN SHUFF

G

ame on! Christmas and Chanukah are upon us.

Familiar lyrics resonate from holiday celebrations: “Tis the season to be jolly…” or “Dreidel, dreidel, dreidel…” Party invitations arrive, boat parades twinkle, gifts are wrapped and palm trees are ablaze in lights. People have

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” —Winston Churchill house parties, and friends swarm your kitchen, leaving what we used to call hostess gifts here and there—the recycled fruitcake in a tin can (odds are it would be better served as a door stopper) or the bottle of Cabernet that you swear was re-gifted from your wine collection the previous year.

Those are fun gifts, a thankyou from friends and family.

But another kind of giving this holiday season is the generosity that is beyond the means of most people—outreach, philanthropy, community support. Very often these are gestures driven by peer pressure, but I like to think most of the time giving back comes from living out that old adage,“If you do well, you must do good.”

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Which brings me to a couple that exemplifies that rule: Harvey and Phyllis Sandler, longtime residents of Boca Raton who have given millions to local institutions.

Harvey’s giving was motivated by an event 25 years ago that he thanks both God and the medical community for: the removal of his brain tumor. More recently, Phyllis Sandler is still recovering with the help of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at the Boca hospital from a devastating aneurism that left her in a coma for 40 days. The Sandlers have donated millions to Boca Raton Regional Hospital (hence the Harvey and Phyllis Sandler Cancer Pavilion), Florida Atlantic University (the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work) and the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, the second-largest federation of its kind in the country. Their Foundation has touched the lives of many people in need and has enhanced the institutions it has supported.

I first met Harvey in 1977.

He was the head of Goldman Sachs Communication Industries Group. In that capacity he covered my company, Capital Cities/ABC, formerly Capital Cities Communications. I was the go-to person for financial information. He called on me, its CFO, for updates on

Harvey and Phyllis Sandler

how the company was doing. But it was never that simple. Harvey Sandler put me through the hoops, trying to get an edge on his fellow analysts. On occasion I felt like I was being interrogated by the cops in a sweaty basement back room. Harvey was aggressive, tenacious, very quick on the trigger and always did his homework. Tom Murphy, our chairman and CEO, considered Harvey one of the best—if not the best— broadcast analysts on Wall Street, a high compliment from one of the best CEOs in the U.S. In 1979 Harvey left Goldman and, using his vast knowledge of the broadcast industry, formed Sandler Capital Management.

And the rest is history. He did very well and has done much good for our local Boca Raton institutions. I’m glad our paths crossed many years ago in New York, and then in Boca. I’m proud of what he has done for our community, and I salute the Sandlers now, in this season that celebrates true giving from the heart.

December 2017

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Š2017 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times. Optional equipment shown is extra.

Scan to view video.

None-of-a-kind.

The new Panamera Turbo.

Champion Porsche 500 West Copans Road Pompano Beach, FL 33064 (800) 940-4020 / (954) 946-4020 www.champion.porschedealer.com

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