The Atlantic Current: May/June 2022

TH E ATLANTI C

Coastal Culture | Palm Beach & Broward County

May / June 2022 | Issue 56

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CONTE NTS

14

OCEANO KITCHEN

Husband and wife duo pull off some of the more impressive culinary feats in a tiny space tucked away in Lantana.

22

DENNIS FRIEL

Curator of all things connected by water on his journey to full-time artist.

28

CATHERINE GIRARD

Local surfboard shaper strives to build a career around the ocean.

36

VAUGHAN DUGAN

Entrepreneur and restaurateur on the early days, growth, and the next phase of Mizner Park in Boca Raton.

42

TEMPERANCE TRAINING

A community built around sobriety turns to fitness for strength.

COVER PHOTO: ZACH GUINTA SURFER: CATHERINE GIRARD 4

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6

5.1 MIKE GARULLI 4PM

5.29 DUB B LE JA ME S 4PM

5.6 JE SSE AND FRIENDS 4PM

6.03 MIKE GARULLI 4PM

5.6 UNLIMITED DEVOTION 9PM

6.03 STRAY IN’ ANCHORS 9PM

5.7 RICKY YOUNG 4PM

6.04 JOEY TENU TO TRIO 4PM

5.7 TAY LOR DAVIS AND THE OU T SIDERS 9PM

6.04 S OUL JA M 9PM

5.11 PROXIMA PARADA 9PM

6.05 LOW GROUND 4PM

5.12 ROOSEVELT COLLIER 8PM

6.10 TAY LOR G ODSEY DUO 4PM

5.13 MICAH S COT T 4PM

6.10 B RANDON TA Z, THOMAS PRID GEN AND B RAD MILLER 9PM

5.13 THE COPPER TONE S 9PM 5.14 THE MOONSHINERS 5PM 5.14 ZACH DEPU T Y 9PM 5.15 JA MBUSH 4PM 5.20 VICTORIA LEIGH 4PM 5.20 THE SIERRA L ANE BAND 9PM 5.21 JOHNN Y DEBT 4PM 5.21 THE RIE S B ROTHERS 9PM 5.22 ELE CTRIC PIQUETE 4PM 5.27 GUAVA DUO 4PM 5.27 THE RICCA PROJE CT 9PM 5.28 VICTORIA CARDONA 4PM 5.28 ERIC CULB ERS ON 9PM

6.11 THREE RING CIRCUS 4PM 6.11 JAKE WALDEN 9PM 6.12 THAT MAN AND ROB IN 4PM 6.17 DUB B LE JA ME S 4PM 6.17 FUNKIN’ GRATEFUL 9PM 6.18 NOU VE AU X HONKIE S 4PM 6.18 E AST HARB OR 9PM 6.19 VICTORIA LEIGH 4PM 6.24 TAND 9PM 6.25 RICKY YOUNG 4PM 6.25 UPROOT HOOTENANN Y 9PM 6.26 SA MANTHA RUSSELL 4PM

EVE NTS

M A Y 6

13

UNLIMITED DEVOTION

@ ER Bradley’s – WPB

COMEDY AFTER DARK

ALL OR NOTHING

@ Grandview Market – WPB

@ Crazy Uncle Mikes – Boca

BELATOVIS BAND

VIOLET JEFFRIES

@ Maxi’s Lineup – Jupiter

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

LATIN NIGHT

JL FULKS @ FUNKY BISCUIT – BOCA

@ ER Bradley’s – WPB

THE PEACH ART WALK – WPB

7

KENTUCKY DERBY PARTY

14

MIRANDA LAMBERT & LITTLE BIG TOWN

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS

@ Maxi’s Lineup – Jupiter

@ ER Bradley’s feat. Jordan Oaks Band – WPB

THE MOONSHINERS (4PM) & ZACH DEPUTY (9PM)

BAD LUCK, DOLLAR SIGNS, TAKING MEDS

@ Respectables – WPB

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

TIM MCGRAW

27TH ANNUAL LANTANA FISHING DERBY FRIENDS OF JUPITER BEACH FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL – RIVERWALK PLAZA DOWNUNDER

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

PERFECT STRANGERS & THE CRAVENS

THE GROOVE 2.0

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

@ Old School Square – Delray

REGGAE SOULJAHS AND FUSE

TWILIGHT IN THE GARDEN

@ JB’s on the Beach – Deerfield

@ Delray Beach Historical Society

A TRIBUTE TO NINA SIMONE

MARLOW ROSADO LATIN JAZZ ENSEMBLE

@ Arts Garage – Delray

7-8

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

SPIRAL LIGHT + MATT BLACK

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

6-7

SONS OF A TRADESMAN

F1 MIAMI GRAND PRIX INDIGO DREAMERS

@ Arts Garage – Delray

15

REGGAE LOU & THE KIND

@ ER Bradley’s – WPB

@ Paddy Macs – PBG

8 11 12

JON ZEEMAN

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter (4pm)

PROZIMA PARADA

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

HOCINO + ABSYNTH OF FAITH + MISSFIT TOYS @ Respectables – WPB

GUAVATRON DUO

@ Maxi’s Lineup – Jupiter

CRAZY FINGERS

@ Fish Depot – Boynton (every Thursday)

WALT ROONEY

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

8

14-15 24TH ANNUAL HAITIAN COMPASS FESTIVAL 18 19 20

JUSTIN ENCO

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

THE FLYERS

@ Crazy Uncle Mikes – Boca

THE LUMINEERS

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

SIERRA LANE BAND

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

THE GROOVE SYNDICATE

@ Maxi’s Lineup – Jupiter

SKID ROW

@ Pompano Beach Amphitheater

e r e h W

t f a r C r e e B

130 SOUTH H STREET LAKE WORTH, FL 33460 MATHEWSBREWINGCOMPANY.COM 561-812-3738

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ROCK R

AND

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CONCER TS EVER Y

FRI + SA T

LIVE MUSIC VENUE

CRAFT BREWERY

TUE-THUR FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY

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3:30PM-10PM 3:30PM-12AM 12PM-12AM 12PM-8:30PM

Enjoy 14+ Craft Beers on Tap CASK ALES, Live Music, Food Trucks, Outdoor Beer Garden & More DOG & KID FRIENDLY • FREE PARKING fMATHEWSBREWING iMATHEWSBREWINGCO

EVE NTS

M A Y 21

@ Arts Garage – Delray

THE FLYERS

KRAZY TRAIN BAND

@ Maxi’s Lineup – Jupiter

JUTT HUFFMAN

@ Crazy Uncle Mikes – Boca

FLEETWOOD MAX

@ Carlin Park – Jupiter

THE SMOKIN’ ACES

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

JOJO’S FARMERS MARKET

@ ER Bradley’s – WPB @ Old School Square – Delray

JP SOARS & THE RED HOTS

29

@ Funky Biscuit – Boca

INDIGO DREAMERS

@ Stormhouse Brewing – NPB

22

PAT BENATAR

@ Pompano Beach Amphitheater

J U N E 2

FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY W/ REIN

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

3-4

BETO & LAUREN + HOMEGROWN SINNERS

@ JB’s on the Beach – Deerfield

25

46 & TOOL (TOOL TRIBUTE)

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

DOOBIE BROTHERS

@ Respectables – WPB

STORMHOUSE BREWING 1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION – NPB

I WANT MY 80’S BACK MEMORIAL DAY FEST FEAT. 2 LIVE CREW @ Clematis Social

3

TITO PUENTE JR & HIS LATIN JAZZ ENSEMBLE

@ Arts Garage – Delray

SHANE DUNCAN BAND

BRIAN BOLEN

@ Old School Square – Delray

MICAH SCOTT

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

THE STRAYIN’ ANCHORS

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

G SPARTICUS

@ ER Bradley’s – WPB

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

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56 ACE BAND

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

4

THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS

THE RICCA PROJECT

@ Fish Depot – Boynton

TEACHER’S BASH FEAT. MULTIPLE BANDS

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

OPEN MIC COMEDY – “THERAPY SESSIONS”

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

SOULJAM

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

GUERRA

@ ER Bradley’s – WPB

SOUTH FLORIDA SMOOTH JAZZ FESTIVAL

@ The Peach – WPB

@ Miramar Park Amphitheater

28-29 DAVE MATHEWS BAND

2ND QUALIFIER OF THE 2ND ANNUAL BEER OLYMPICS

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

@ American/German Club of the Palm Beaches – Lake Worth

28

WEST PALM BEACH JAZZ AND SOUL FESTIVAL

LAZY BONEZ

@ Meyer Amphitheater

@ Crazy Uncle Mikes – Boca

INDIGO DREAMERS

@ Leftovers – Jupiter

8

EMO NIGHT BROOKLYN

INDIGO DREAMERS

@ DAS Beer Garden – Jupiter

@ Respectables – WPB

MATT SCHOFIELD BAND 10

9

T.S.O.L. 40TH ANNIVERSARY

@ Respectables – WPB

11

EVE NTS

J U N E

19

WALT ROONEY

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

TEARS FOR FEARS

24

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

INDIGO DREAMERS

@ Maxi’s Lineup – Jupiter

25

SWITCH N’ WHISKEY

10

BRYAN SMITH SOLO

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

THE PEOPLE UPSTAIRS

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

RINGO STARR & HIS ALL STARR BAND

@ Hard Rock Live

RICKY YOUNG (4PM) + UPROOT HOOTENANNY (9PM)

@ Crazy Uncle Mikes – Boca

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

BRANDON TAZ NIEDERAUER, THOMAS PRIDGEN, & BRAD MILLER—SUPER GROUP

@ Meyer Amphitheater – WPB

4TH ANNUAL J.A.H FESTIVAL JONATHAN JAMES

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

11

NEIL FREESTONE

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

PARADISE SOUL FEST

@ Miramar Park Amphitheater

SPRED THE DUB

J U L Y 1

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

14 17

NATIONAL BOURBON DAY

@ Batch New Southern Kitchen and Tap – WPB

FUNKIN’ GRATEFUL

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter

PROJECT X BAND

@ Mathews Brewing – Lake Worth

ELAN TROTMAN

@ Funky Biscuit – Boca (2 shows!)

18

MOTLEY CRUE, DEF LEPPARD, POISON, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS

@ Hard Rock Stadium

KEITH URBAN

@ iThink Financial Amphitheater – WPB

SCOTT ROSS AND BLUE RUIN

@ Old School Square – Delray

NOUVEAUX HONKIES

@ Guanabanas – Jupiter (4pm)

BRIAN AND BRIAN

@ Papa’s Raw Bar – Lighthouse Point

JOJO’S FARMER’S MARKET

@ Carlin Park – Jupiter

12

2

A WILHELM SCREAM

@ Respectables – WPB

LUAU PARTY FEAT. GIRLFRIEND MATERIAL BAND, THE SHAKE, SPRED THE DUB

@ Mathews Brewing Co. b –Lake Worth

3

CORTADITO @ GUANABANAS – JUPITER

13

food

Small Space, Big Taste

BY DARI E N DAV I ES

14

FOOD

T

omato and watermelon gazpacho with cucumber, jumbo crab, avocado and olive oil. Date Night Pizza with mortadella, blue cheese, date, pistachio, mozzarella and Parmesan. Wood-fired Japanese A5 wagyu, Robuchon potato, crispy shallot and bordelaise. Salted caramel ice cream sundae, fudge sauce, peanut and popcorn brittle.

While these could be menu items from DB Bistro Moderne or Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City or L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon in Las Vegas, they are from the daily menu at Lantana’s Oceano Kitchen.

The 1,000-square-foot space was originally a hard no for restauranteur husband and wife team, Jeremy and Cindy Bearman, but there was just something about it that pulled them back. Maybe it was the wood-fired oven and no hood fans, limited seating for six at a small chef’s counter, or a deck with no awning. Or, it was the funky character and the promise of a future where two chefs could create their craft one locally-inspired, wood-fired dish at a time.

“After working in the industry for many years opening restaurants for other people, we knew we wanted to build our own restaurant together. We weren’t 100% sure of what the concept would be, as that is sometimes determined by other factors such as location and space,” said the Bearmans, who source from local farms as much as possible.

“We knew we wanted it to be a more casual restaurant with approachable-yet-refined food and we both share a passion for cooking seasonally with locally-sourced products.

We are a chef-driven restaurant so having an open kitchen where we could connect with our guests was important to us. We spent enough time in NYC basement kitchens cooking amazing food, but never being able to interact with the people who ate our food. One of the best parts of Oceano Kitchen is being able to do both!” >>

t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 15

food

The delicious union that brings us daydream-worthy and ever-changing savory and sweet sharing plates formed, not surprisingly, in a kitchen in 2002. They lived together for a year in New York City, traveled to Las Vegas together, and got married in 2005. Their passion for food drew them together, and their passion for food continues to ignite the fire in their wood oven and smoker.

Jeremy and Cindy Bearman

Jeremy began his career in the suburbs of NY working at the Citrus Grille near his hometown. In 1997 he moved into the city and worked at a couple of smaller, less know restaurants before taking a cook job at DB Bistro Moderne in 2001 where he worked his way up to the executive sous chef position. In 2007, after five years working in Las Vegas and San Francisco, he returned to begin working on a new restaurant, Rouge Tomate, which opened in 2008 on the bottom of Central Park and where he earned his first Michelin star in 2009. The restaurant held that star for five years before he left in 2014.

Cindy attended The French Culinary Institute in SoHo and interned at many notable restaurants including

16

FOOD

Gotham Bar and Grill and Café Boulud.

Upon graduation she accepted a position at DB Bistro Moderne. She also worked at Le Cirque 2000 before moving to Las Vegas. After some time working in Las Vegas and San Francisco she went back to work in the City. She was the opening pastry chef for Jean-Gorges’ ABC Kitchen, which won the James Beard Award for best new restaurant under her tenure. After a decade of working in hotels and restaurants she wanted to try something different and started working as a food editor/recipe developer for Martha Stewart magazine.

So, yeah, they’ve definitely sharpened their knives in the culinary world and have the palatable prowess to continue pushing the gastronomic envelope. Using only their smoker, wood-fired oven and a couple induction burners, they are able to curate a daily menu that includes seven to eight savory items and two to three desserts, and dishing these items out to about 140 guests with only 40 seats.>> theatlanticcurrent.com

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food

Who the heck would go through the intense process of creating a brand new menu each and every day? Crazy people. Well, crazy people who are crazy about food.

“My Chef, Eric Sheremeta and I sit down (really we are standing up) each night and decide the menu for the next day. Each week, we get lists from our selected purveyors, farms and fisherman. We purchase product based on what inspires us, what is freshest, unique and available locally when possible,” said Jeremy, who, with his team, make everything by hand. “The interesting part of that is that we don’t usually have any idea what we are going to do with the product when we order it. That part of the creative process is decided once the ingredients are in house. We talk during the day about ideas and then decide at night and order anything extra we might need for that specific menu. We post the menu on our website each day around noon, but up to that point…and sometimes even during that day, changes are made due to product availability or creative inspiration. Hence our ‘menus are subject to change.’ Changing the menu each day is not easy, but for us it allows us to do something new each day and really put a lot of love into the food.”

Same goes for Cindy. The salted caramel chocolate chip cookies remain a constant on the menu, but she creates one chocolate-based dessert and one fruit-based dessert every day.

“I love changing the menu everyday because my favorite part of being a pastry chef is the creative process. It’s a labor of love, but it keeps it fun and interesting for me and the guests,” Cindy said. “My approach to creating desserts is to not overcomplicate a dish, but to highlight great ingredients that are prepared well and with a bit of whimsy. I like to put my own modern twist on the classics.”

You’ll notice “modifications politely declined” on the menu, and for good reason. “A lot of thought and work goes into each and every detail of the dishes on our menu. Sometimes when you change one detail it changes the entire dish. We want our guests to experience the flavors and textures of our food the way it was intended,” the Bearmans said.

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FOOD

A lot of thought and work goes into each and every detail of the dishes on our menu. Sometimes when you change one detail it changes the entire dish. We want our guests to experience the flavors and textures of our food the way it was intended. t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 19

food

We don’t usually have any idea what we are going to do with the product when we order it.

This dedication to the craft has earned the team exponential growth year after year, ever since they opened in February 2017. This is a success that they don’t take lightly, and for which they appreciate the community immensely, and their team. Eric has been with the pair for the past three years, and Susan, their general manager, has been at Oceano since day one.

“Success in business is defined in so many ways. Each year, we do more business out of this small 1,000-squarefoot space than the previous year. We always say we can’t possibly do any more but end up somehow…doing more.

It is amazing to have a restaurant that is five years old with a majority of the staff being there for more than 75% of that time,” said the Bearmans, who categorize their fare as modern new American cuisine that is approachable yet refined. “We are incredibly lucky to have such great employees and to have built this small family over the years.

For us that is one of the aspects of Oceano that makes it truly successful. Lastly, the support of our regulars and community has been unimaginable. It shows all the time, but during the pandemic, it was really amazing to see how many people came to support us through take out, dining 20

FOOD

in and the purchase of gift cards. We would not be here and this successful without our amazing staff and guests.”

In the future, they’d love to have a bigger kitchen space that still captures the soul of what Oceano Kitchen is, of which an open kitchen will always be at the heart. Connecting with the guests is as important for the culinary team as being a part of the dinner service is for those who were lucky enough to be able to snag seats.

Left to right: Chef/Owner Jeremy Bearman, Pastry Chef/ Owner Cindy Bearman, Sous Chef Michael Fallon, Chef de Cuisine Eric Sheremeta

Every day the team works hard to make the ordinary extraordinary, all by treating food well and welcoming their guests to take a seat at their table. Oceano Kitchen is a neighborhood restaurant that offers a unique experience at each visit, and one that leaves stomachs and hearts full, but always hungry for more.

201 East Ocean Ave., Lantana @oceanokitchen t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 21

DENNIS

ART

FR I E L

22

ART

All Things Connected

by Water

BY DAV I D ROLLAN D

“N

ot a week goes by where I don’t get two or three texts from people saying ‘I’m on the water and I’m passing by your artwork,’” artist Dennis Friel says in amazement as he takes a break from his studio to chat with The Atlantic Current about his life and art.

The mural that he’s referring to at the moment is a massive 283-linear-foot rendition of underwater life that spans the Atlantic Boulevard Intracoastal bridge in Pompano Beach. He titled the work “Atlantic Harmony” because, in his words, “there’s so much diversity. If you go fishing in Pompano you can catch so many different species of fish.

But the double meaning with the title is there’s also a lot of diversity in our town.” >>

t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 23

art

After a while my wife saw I was running myself ragged.

She said I needed to pick murals or music.

I picked fish.

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ART

Friel grew up in South Florida. In high school he had two major obsessions, the ocean and creating art. “I grew up fishing, diving, and surfing. Water was the main fabric of my life,” he remembers, and then goes into detail about how he was also always doodling and drawing. “Being an artist isn’t what I do, it’s what I am. I don’t remember ever not being an artist. I was the class artist that people would come up to whenever they needed someone to draw a logo or a poster. Then you know how you have to take typing or computer classes in high school? My mom went into the office and said ‘Dennis doesn’t need to take those classes. He’s going to art school after graduation.’”

Sure enough, Dennis did go to art school at Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Fla. After graduation he took a job in the music business where he was a creative director leading a team of people in providing promotional artwork for CDs and DVDs. He worked in that industry for close to 17 years. But on nights, weekends, and whatever spare time he could find, he was earning extra money painting murals and providing artwork for apparel with his signature sea life. “After a while my wife saw I was running myself ragged. She said I needed to pick murals or music.

I picked fish.”

Only a few years after he quit his day job, Friel got a call from the city of Pompano Beach. “They said they loved my artwork and, especially as a homegrown Pompano guy, they wanted to see if I could do something for the bridge.”

The city of Pompano gave him a lot of freedom, Friel said.

“Once we showed them conceptual sketches, they left me alone to do my work. They had their wish list of what they wanted to include. They wanted the lighthouse on there, and they wanted a diverse array of fish species, which we were happy to include,” he explained. While it might not be obvious from photographs or if you’re driving over the bridge and passing by the art at 30 miles per hour, the mural was not painted directly on the bridge. Friel explained the process as, “The art had to be wrapped on to the bridge. It was more economical to do it this way, but more importantly the salt water would have eaten all the artwork off the bridge in a couple years. No point of them doing it if it was going to deteriorate right away.” And nearly three years after its 2019 opening, the sharks and turtles on the bridge haven’t lost any of their brilliance.

t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 25

art

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ART

Beyond bridges, Friel and his team also take commissions for custom artwork, bringing his underwater renditions to everything from books to boats. Just like his collaboration with Pompano, Friel finds most of his clients are super easy to work with. “Most of my customers say they want a certain species in the art, but then they let me do my thing.

People usually come to me because they want what I bring to the table. Once in a while you get a micromanager, someone who might want me to keep changing the direction the fish’s head is pointed at,” he admits with a laugh, “but most people want me to do my thing.”

Friel’s laidback relationship with his customers help initiate a different passion for him, his Connected by Water podcast. “I used to spend all those long hours painting listening to something. First it was music and then I started listening to podcasts.” Back when his studio was in Coral Springs, Friel started noticing he was almost doing a podcast in his workspace only without recording it. “A lot of customers would get their money’s worth after a long drive to the studio to talk my ear off. I was having all these great conversations, we figured we might as well record them.”

His wife helped him come up with the name. “Liz asked me how all these guests would be connected. I realized all our relationships were because of the water. She said that’s your name.” Dennis liked the name so much that he changed his whole company to be named Connected by Water. “It’s how all sides of the business are connected.

The apparel, the murals, the podcast, the community, and the culture. It’s all connected by water.”

Cast Dennis a line to learn more about his aquatic creative company, why he’s always ready to kick back with some Papa’s Pilar rum, and how you can snag some of his merch and get invited to his gallery.

3169 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach @dennisfrielart & @connectedbywater

theatlanticcurrent.com

27

CATH E R I N E surf

28

SURF

Shaping Her Future, One B oard at a Time

BY DARI E N DAV I ES

I

t’s almost one of those stories of “who found whom?” or “who saved whom?” but this version involves the ocean, longboards and purpose.

Catherine Girard spent the beginning part of her life in Québec before moving to Florida at the age of 19, where she began a career in lifeguarding. Even though she spent time in the water as a competitive swimmer and felt comfortable in the water, this job was when her future changed, all thanks to the ocean.

“I didn’t grow up near the ocean unfortunately. For me, it was a very mysterious and unknown place. I was scared but also fascinated,” said Girard, 25. “Lifeguarding was everything I needed as a 19 year old. I got to discover what made me happy and found a place I felt I belonged: the ocean. I started surfing on the job and going out in whatever conditions to get better and build confidence.”>>

t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 29

surf

30 S U R F

PHOTO: ZACH GUINTA

In an effort to surf more, she moved to California. However, she was still not finding the solace she needed in the ebb and flow, and felt lost again even though she was surfing more. Working at a coffee shop in Santa Barbara just to survive, and feeling like she wasn’t going anywhere, it wasn’t until one of her regulars started talking to her about surfing that the destiny lightbulb clicked.

“He told me he had been making boards from start to finish for more than 50 years. His name is Gregg Tally,” said Girard, whose grandmother was instrumental in teaching her crafting, painting, using tools and techniques at a young age. “I thought that was so interesting. He offered to teach me. I made my first board in June 2020 and haven’t looked back since. Thirty boards later, I can’t wait to make my next one. I still can’t believe I get to make surfboards from start to finish for people. It feels like I’ve paddled for a wave and been pushed by it ever since.”

Her first board she shaped was a 9’4” noserider with a triple stringer. It had a square tail with two lavender resin panels on each side, and she drew a butterfly directly on the bottom of the foam with her signature.

“It’s still one of my favorite boards to surf. It was super helpful to have Gregg’s guidance. I honestly couldn’t have made it without him,” said Girard, who considers paddling out and surfing this first board, feeling the response of the shape through the water, as one of her most memorable moments. “It was a challenge to learn all the steps, technique and learn to use some power tools. He had all the equipment, materials and space to build boards. Gregg is a great teacher and friend. He was super patient and believed in me since the start of this journey.”

But, the journey wasn’t always smooth. Being a female starting fresh in a male-dominated industry took some guts, courage and keeping her eye on the horizon. She said she felt intimated at first, but eventually found a community of people who wanted to support her on her journey, which helped her to overcome the “imposter syndrome” she first experienced. Focusing on the prize always helps, too.

She was, and continues to be, attracted toward shaping boards because of the physical connection of making a board with her own hands, and also the infinite possibilities of design. Every board that she makes is 100% >> t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 31

surf

I want to be able to make a difference and support women to make them feel like they have a place in this industry as well.

handmade from start to finish, and no two are the same.

She’s currently working out of her friend’s shop in Boca Raton, since she didn’t have a place of her own when she came back from California. Short term, she hopes to shape some more boards in California within the next couple months and get her own warehouse, and she hopes to be able to make boards full-time in the long term.

To custom craft her boards, which can take upwards of 40 hours depending on the complexity, she begins by asking customers what length of board or shape they’d like, as well as fin setup and any design or color ideas, and even what type of waves they’re interested in surfing or any technical achievement they want to accomplish with the board.

“The first step is getting all the materials I need to make the board. I get a specific blank for different sizes and styles, draw my template on it and then I saw it out. Then, I can start planing until it is my desired thickness,” said Girard, who personally likes to ride a traditional log, a square tail 9’4” noserider with a subtle concave and a 22.5” width, but who is always open to switching boards with people out in the water. “Secondly, I do the rails and clean up the planer lines. After I’m done shaping, I can lay some fiberglass cloth and laminate one side at a time. Next, I hot coat the board and then have to sand it all down to be able to put a gloss coat on. After I’ve applied the last >> 32

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coat I sand down the board to a sanded gloss coat finish.

Lastly, the customer comes and picks up their brand new custom/handmade surfboard. I like every single part of the process. It gets more satisfying as I go.”

She gets a lot of inspiration from trying different boards, surf films and the surf community, as well as shapers like Gregg Tally, Rachel Lord, Fantastic Acid by Tristan Mausse, Ryan Lovelace, Melo Surfboards, Ryan Burch, Ricky Carroll, and many more.

For Girard, life connected to the ocean is twofold. She finds that the most fulfilling aspect of being a lifeguard is being of service to the people and to the ocean, and that the most rewarding aspect of designing and shaping a surfboard is that she gets to connect and meet amazing people. Not only that, but she likes that her clients also enjoy something that she’s made from their inspiration, which makes them not only feel connected to the board and to the ocean, but that also brings them joy when they surf.

After all, it’s all about feeling good about what you’re doing.

The most memorable board she made was one that her friend, Kate, custom ordered for her husband, who is one of Girard’s best friends. She made the 7’5” rounded pin single fin in California with Gregg, saying that it turned out even better than she could have imagined. She flew with 34

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the board to Florida and surprised them early on Christmas Day, after not seeing them for two years. Another super memorable board was the one she made for a client named Mary, which not only created a beautiful board with one of Mary’s collages as the design (placed by hand by Mary), but also a beautiful friendship.

So while the board may be the end result, it’s all about the experience and the process. Just like Girard’s life and career, she revels in shaping joy for herself and others on the water.

“I just love to watch people create their own dance on them and how certain styles of shapes are always gonna be around because they’re timeless,” said Girard, who plans to travel back to California to complete orders but hopes to have her home base in Florida where she can complete orders and travel when needed. “I hope to continue meeting and making boards for amazing people through the surf community. I want to be able to make a difference and support women to make them feel like they have a place in this industry as well.” catherinegirardsurfboards.com @catherinegirardsurfboards

THE BLOCK

MAY 21 5-9PM ST

DOWNTOWN BOYNTON BEACH

100 N.E. 4TH STREET MUSIC BY

MAKING FACES

JUNE 11TH 12-4PM

BOYNTON HARBOR MARINA

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SPRED THE DUB & SPIDER CHERRY BOYNTONBEACHCRA.COM

food biz

VAU G HAN

D UGAN

36 BF I SZ H I N G

Flipping the Script on Mizner Park, Again

BY N ICOLE DAN NA

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estaurateur. Creative. Relationship Broker. These are all words to describe Vaughan Dugan, one part of the South Florida hospitality masterminds behind the Boca Raton-born restaurant Kapow! and — coming soon — Penelope and Shaker & Pie. To those outside the industry, however, Dugan is also the creator at Dugan Holdings Group, the ideation company that houses all his various passion projects — many founded alongside like-minded local entrepreneurs — that over the years has ranged from compression apparel and a monthly fitness box subscription service to an organic pizza restaurant franchise he took global.

These days, they include KulaCrate, a crowdfunding platform that helps raise funding for classroom materials, and his wife Angela’s Dugan & Dame brand of bitters, tonics, and bar-related tinctures you’ll find distributed to local restaurants, including Kapow! >>

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KAPOW!’S NEW LOCATION IN PROGRESS

Looking back, you could add “serial entrepreneur” to Dugan’s list of qualifications, but he will tell you “restaurateur” also suits him just fine. As he reminisces about the creation of one of Palm Beach County’s most enduring establishments, he will also tell you Kapow!’s success is built on a foundation of hard work, ingenuity — and simply being in the right place at the right time.

Like many in the industry, Dugan had an early start in the bar business. Growing up in Newport, Rhode Island, his father’s bar felt like a second home. He’d wash dishes and bus tables, which was the type of work that made it easy to snag a job serving tables at Chili’s when he moved to Boca Raton in 1991.

His introduction to the restaurant scene has different origins: as the founding president of his Florida Atlantic University fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu. “My first foray into this industry was simply looking for places to throw parties, and that’s really when it all started,” recalls Dugan. “I got bit by the nightlife bug. I began working at the area nightclubs, and got to know a lot of people.”

Key among them were Sub-Culture Restaurant Group 38 B I Z

co-founders Rodney Mayo and Scott Frielich, the dynamic duo behind many of South Florida’s most iconic nightlife establishments including Miami Beach’s Lost Weekend and West Palm Beach’s Respectable Street.

At the time, just 22, Dugan was juggling the ins-and-outs of his first entrepreneurial endeavor, a fledgling printing and design business dubbed Stellar Concepts, creating promotional material for many of the area’s top nightclubs.

Yet, amidst the chaos of outgrowing a cramped apartment office, Dugan was already dreaming of bigger and better things.

“From there, I decided to dip my feet into opening my first restaurant,” recalls Dugan, who launched Pizza Fusion in 2006, quickly growing it from his first 850-square-foot shop in Deerfield Beach to nearly 50 franchise locations by 2011.

The franchise was also among the first in the nation to embrace the idea of sustainability, making Pizza Fusion a trailblazer in the green hospitality space, turning what was often a wasteful process into an eco-friendly endeavor.

“Around the time we were opening we really noticed a lot of inefficiencies in the business,” says Dugan. “We were trying to find ways to save money and cut costs, and realized that we could achieve that using recycled and reclaimed materials. We were lucky to be ahead of the curve.

Right place, right time.”

The success catapulted Pizza Fusion into a global spotlight — and franchise expansion — a decision Dugan says carried with it the death of his original vision.

“My idea of taking over the world as a restaurateur was three to five of my own establishments. It’s one thing to manage your own business, and quite another to oversee the growth of 49 serial entrepreneurs,” he says. “It was a huge challenge. It got to the point where the business no longer aligned with my values, or my passions.”

In 2012, Dugan stepped away from Pizza Fusion, but he was by no means done. When the space next door to Mayo and Frielich’s 6-year-old Irish pub, Dubliner, became available, the trio began to conceptualize a new Sub-Culture concept that would breathe new life to Boca Raton’s sleepy Mizner Park.

“We traveled all over, from New York City to San Francisco, with the crazy idea to bring what we thought was an emerging trend to South Florida,” says Dugan. “At the time, we saw a void in the market for fun, chef-driven, Asian concepts.”

And they filled it with Kapow!, Mizner Park’s first foray into fun and hip, a tiny eatery with an energy twice its size that spoke to a decidedly younger generation.

“It’s hard to talk about the evolution of Kapow! without also talking about the evolution of Boca Raton,” says Dugan.

“Right now, I see it as a growing tech hub, with so many phenomenal businesses coming out of the Tech Runway business incubator program at Florida Atlantic University.

It’s breathing new life into what’s always been a very seasonal city.”

For Mayo, who brought an Irish Pub to the heart of the now 31-year-old Mizner Park in 2006, it’s also a city ready to embrace change.

“When we decided to open an Irish Pub in what was mostly thought of as an upscale retirement community, people >> t h e a t l a n t i c c u r r e n t . c o m 39

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It’s hard to talk about the evolution of Kapow! without also talking about the evolution of Boca Raton.

40 B I Z

thought we were crazy,” says Mayo.“We had a great sixteen-year run and have left a huge impact in Mizner Park.

Now we’re ready for what’s next with Shaker & Pie as we continue evolving with the city.”

This summer, change is on the horizon for Sub-Culture — and Mizner Park — when the group will launch two new concepts, alongside a reimagined Kapow! following a recent welcoming of the third location of SubCulture Coffee.

By July, Dugan and his partners will move Kapow! to a new, larger space across the plaza. The new space will feature an indoor/outdoor wrap-around bar, eight-seat omakase bar, expansive air-conditioned covered patio seating, and three full-service private karaoke rooms.

When it opens, a menu overhaul will include a number of elevated items and sushi, eventually rolling out to the West Palm Beach location.

By the Fall, they also plan to open a brand-new concept in the former Dubliner space with their Italian trattoria Shaker & Pie. Here, a wood-burning oven will pump out sharable plates and housemade pasta and Neapolitan-style pies with chef-curated toppings, and a bar lineup that highlights amaros, aperitifs, and Italian wines.

And, slipping into the intimate space once occupied by Kapow!, Sub-Culture will debut Penelope, the group’s ode to a New Orleans-style brasserie. Here, the Nola vibe will come courtesy of approachable Cajun- and Frenchthemed fare paired alongside cordials, craft cocktails, and a wine list that’s reminiscent of the café-style drinking culture of Paris.

“Over the years, we’ve gotten really good at identifying trends and making them our own,” says Dugan. “The growth and evolution have become a mashup of all our loves, backed by Sub-Culture’s history of entertainmentfocused nightlife. And that’s become a winning, magical combination.”

Kapow! Noodle Bar: 402 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (new location, Summer 2022) Penelope: 431 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (Fall 2022) Shaker & Pie: 435 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (Spring 2023) SubCulture Coffee: 437 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, FL 33432 (Now Open)

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TE M P E RAN

n. o i s s a P . y t i n u Comm . s s e r g Pr o EN RD

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obriety can be a difficult road, especially if you have to go it alone. In fact, according to American Addiction Centers, recent drug relapse statistics show that more than 85% of individuals relapse and

return to drug use within the year following treatment. So what makes those practicing sobriety succeed while others don’t? If you ask Anthony Fazio, it’s all about community support and exercising

your mind and your body.

When Fazio began his temperance journey, he and his friend, Tim, were doing CrossFit as a healthy outlet. He realized that it was a worthwhile and beneficial option for others, so decided to become

a personal trainer so he could help others who needed it. This was all a short decade ago, and that idea has since grown into a free, open-arms exercise communi-

ty called Temperance Training, or TT for short. >>

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to provide a safe place where the recovery community can work on a healthy activity and meet others doing the same,” said Fazio, 45, who hopes to add more availability, more classes, more coaches, and a one-on-one peer accountability program in the future.

“I am a sober athlete seeking long-term recovery and I feel Temperance allows me a positive outlet for my mind, body and spirit. It provides me with a like-minded community of action,” said Fazio, who originally grew up in Coral Springs but calls Delray home because of the rich recovery community. “When I put the drink down, the real work began. Taking care of my body, mind and spirit were my instructions. I feel the intensity in CrossFit helps me touch on two of those things, and now having Temperance Training helps with all three.”

Operating out of CrossFit Hype in Boca Raton, Fazio and his team of coaches offer free classes to anyone with over 24 hours of sobriety. But he will be the first to tell you, everyone is welcome. Not only does he consider it a Training, he also considers it a Movement, and one that exists to serve their members, current and future.

“I want the outreach and availability of the Temperance Training program to keep growing and continue

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The format for the one-hour classes include warm-up, a strength or skill portion, and then a metcon (metabolic conditioning) workout. Fazio considers the workouts to be very hard, and ones that exercise not only the body but also the mind.

“There is a certain feeling of accomplishment with the completion of each of our classes. These little victories do wonders for the self esteem,” Fazio said. And he should know. Not only is he a prime example of what the Movement can do for a person, but he also has amazing feedback from members, which he says blows his mind and makes him so grateful to be a part of the process.

Amber, student and new mom, said “I support TT because it saved my life.”

Wlises, a firefighter, said “I support TT because addiction has been in my life for as long as I can remember. My experience has been from the outside but over the years I’ve seen that recovery is possible because of communities like this. I support TT because people do recover.”

Alexa, a therapist, said “I support TT because I believe in how important all around wellness is for recovery from substance abuse. Be it mental, emotional or physical growth a person is seeking, TT provides a community that is supportive, welcoming and empowering toward all individuals. I met some of my closest friends through TT.

For me, it’s not only a community, but it also feels like home.”

That’s exactly what Fazio was going for when he first started his journey. He might have been focusing on his recovery but he realized that it’s not about himself, it’s about the giving of his self to help others, and then encouraging others to do the same. You can’t have a community of one, after all. >>

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fitness The outside community is a big part of TT, too. The organization is generously funded through members of the program, as well as families of the community and an annual event in November to raise funds.

“We get donations from family and gym members who are so happy to contribute, making sure our program stays up and running,” said Fazio, who is grateful to be a part of it all. “Families are reaching out to me personally all the time thanking us for providing an outlet for their kids and helping to bring them back into their lives. It’s the best part of this thing.”

So with each repetition of physical exercise in the gym, there is a repetition of the mental exercise outside of the gym, which leads to the continued gains made for the personal spirit. It’s a lot of sweat and a lot of reward, both of which aren’t done alone.

“Because we are about strength in numbers and not having to do life on life’s terms alone,” Fazio said. “Then you pass what you have learned on to the next person.” linktr.ee/temperancetraining @temperancetraining

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