FOOD & DRINK

at very un-Boca prices. This may be the new wave we’ve been waiting for: smaller portions, easier prices and anything under the sun you’d feel like eating—right here downtown, where the energy is kicking in.

Well, you can’t go wrong here, because you can go anywhere. The new Medi Terra at Royal Palm Place decided to gather up the best of everything from the western Mediterranean culinary map and throw it all on a menu. Then you get to decide if you’re feeling Moroccan, got a hankering for Spanish tapas and just want full-out Italian. Imagine a Moroccan tajine dish next to linguine and clam sauce. Or braised oxtail pappardelle cozying up to jamón serrano croquettes. Mussels Provencal, a whole range of seafood, lamb chops—your taste buds are in for an imaginative menu and a happy new addition to Boca’s dining landscape.

is just as adver tised—tapas, but all-American style. This eclectic menu has all our faves, from oysters and salads and bacon-wrapped dates to pulled pork and filet mignon sliders, wings, lobster-truffle mac and cheese, the works. And all

Ka-pow expands, moves across the street and offers a contemporary Asian wow factor, from its eye-popping interior design and seating areas to its menu. It’s also action-central for holidays—large, small or made up— and has killer food.

• Waterstone has raised its game in the last year or so, with the new waterfront SeaSpray patio restaurant, amped-up amenities and programs

• 60 Vines (the old Brio at Boca Center) is a sleeper hit. It has 60 (changing) wines on tap in either 2.5-ounce, 5-ounce or 8-ounce carafe pours. But the food might be the real star, with fresh seasonal choices and a wide variety of options, from the fried chicken and ought to be slapped.

• When the legendary Kathy's Gazebo was sold, Boca’s collective gasp ruffled palm trees up and down the coast. But not to worry: The same menu and chef carry on, dazzling as always (the Dover sole is still legendary), and the dated

Lobster bisque at Chop’s

Caviar pie at Café Maxx

Mushroom ravioli at Maggiano’s Fish tacos at Luff’s

Bone broth at Farmer’s Table

Chicken meatballs at Mario’s Duck at Eathai

When it comes to English pubs, Lion & Eagle gives the U.K. a run for its pounds. With live music six nights a week, a TV screen for every Premier League game, and beers that are thankfully served cold (no offense, Brits), Lion & Eagle’s mantra of “try before you trust” has been winning over patrons for more than 14 years. We may never warm up to black pudding, but we raise a pint and salute this Boca staple.

The Grand Tasting at Boca Bacchanal 2023 at The Addison topped past years with elevated food offerings and great vintners—not to mention a cash bar if you were on a vodka diet. But we also loved the Junior League’s “Raise The Bar” event at Boca Center, which celebrated the 17th anniversary of the Junior League of Boca Raton Endowment Fund, Inc. and raised more than $30,000 for the Junior League. Local celebrity bartenders included Victoria Matthews and Dorothy MacDiarmid (who raised the most money at the event), Victoria Jones, Kevin Ives, Niki Knopf, Cliff Viner, Pamela Weinroth, Christina Irving, Dennis Gavin, Kevin Rafferty, Paige Kornblue, Andrea Virgin, Linda Gunn-Paton and Mark Nadzam. Nothing like a fun charity event to get the drinks flowing …

In four short years, Crazy Uncle Mike’s has woven itself seamlessly into the fabric of Boca nightlife to the point that we can’t imagine our city without it. Part craft brewery, part scratch kitchen and part live music venue would be enough to send any lesser establishment into an identity crisis, but founder Mike Goodwin continues to deliver the best of all three with old-school style and prickly humor.

It was touch-and-go during the COVID years, but we’re happy to report that Funky Biscuit has grooved back with a vengeance, thanks in no small part to the eclectic mix of acts that grace the stage on any given night. The Funky Biscuit Allstars (featuring owner Al Poliak on Hammond organ) have cured many a Monday for us, and we’ve lost count of the tacos we’ve downed while jamming to Crazy Fingers on Taco Tuesday. Whether it’s New Orleans funk, smooth jazz or just melt-your-face rock ‘n’ roll, the Biscuit always delivers.