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Food
Innovative grocery store feature
Boca Raton’s Publix Apron’s Cooking School offers wine and cooking classes from its own staff as well as big hitters like Michelle Bernstein and Paula Deen. Classes are all over the culinary map, from “basic knife skills” and “sauces demystified” to “dim sum” and “shellfish exposed.”
In-store barbecue
Whole Foods has it all, from chicken and pulled pork to all the fixins’. And it smells so good that they know you can’t wait to get home before digging in—so the store installed a convenient lunch counter only steps away.
Mexican
Tacos al Carbon in Lake Worth is a 24/7 standby with the genuine article at a low, low price, but people are raving these days about Rocco’s Tacos on Clematis Street, part Mexican watering hole (lots of designer tequilas) and part downtown meat market. The menu is extensive, the atmosphere lively. We like the tortilla soup, and everyone is crazy about the guacamole prepared tableside.
Early bird deal that doesn’t make you feel old
At Delray’s way-cool Dada restaurant (with the sparkly outdoor courtyard), if you dine between 5 and 6:15 p.m., with each entrée ordered you get another of equal or lesser value for free.
Take-out rotisserie chicken
Boca’s Fresh Market has several flavors a day, and they are routinely good, but no one can beat Costco’s $4.99 rotisserie chicken. There’s a reason people are milling around the meat counter at noon and at 6 p.m., waiting for those birds to emerge.
Outdoor dining
The new little hot spot Tryst (in what used to be Sol Kitchen) now features an intimate courtyard with lush vegetation and a very hip vibe.
Restaurant with live music
Gigi’s at Mizner Park rocks on Friday nights to the Top 40/Latin sounds of The Edge. Hit it after 9 p.m. and good luck finding a spot on the dance floor.
Dessert worth breaking your diet for
The deep-dish blueberry pie at Bogart’s in Boca is even better than Mom’s—trust us.
Real Florida restaurant
Cap’s Place, on its own little island off Lighthouse Point, is Broward County’s oldest restaurant and has a checkered past as a one-time casino and rum-running speakeasy in the 1920s. Today, about the only thing that’s crooked there are its slanting floors, the low ceiling in the bar and the rickety dock. Take the motor launch from the Lighthouse Point Yacht Basin & Marina for a five-minute ride to the restaurant, which is known primarily for its seafood and heart-of-palm salad. And its long history in South Florida.
Healthy menu
What a concept: a natural foods restaurant that’s not a shabby holdover from a rustic ’60s-era juice bar. Stylish and chic Sublime is a South Florida classic owned by Nanci Alexander, who also founded the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida and dedicates the Fort Lauderdale restaurant’s profits to “promoting animal welfare and a vegan lifestyle.” The food is excellent, and the menu clearly states that the food is “cholesterol-free and uses organic ingredients when possible. Dishes are prepared with fresh organic herbs grown in Sublime’s rooftop garden.” That’s about as natural as you can get in these parts.
Food court spot
We love Maoz, the new fast-food vegetarian restaurant at the Town Center food court. Their most popular combo is $8.95 for a pita stuffed with falafel and salad bar fixings, plus Belgian fries and a drink. After this, you’ll forget you ever craved a burger.
Gourmet to go at your local supermarket
We have to take our hats off to our local groceries that seem to be embracing South Florida’s growing obsession with eating well. Spotted on recent trips: Wagu beef at Publix Greenwise, cold-pressed Italian extra-virgin olive oil at Publix, Pluga butter (high in butterfat) everywhere.
ENTERTAINMENT
New cocktail
One of our favorite parts of Boca’s new Zed451 megarestaurant is its Liquid Market cocktail selection, featuring in-house-infused liquors and fresh ingredients. The menu changes seasonally, but a few winners are on there to stay—including the ginger bourbon lemonade, a supremely refreshing treat on a hot Florida day.
Ginger Bourbon Lemonade
From Zed451
Serves 1
3/4 ounce ginger, thinly sliced
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1 1/4 ounces citrus-infused Woodford Reserve bourbon
3/4 ounce Cointreau
1 1/2 ounces fresh sour mix
2 lemon wheels
2 fresh cherries
2 ounces Sprite
1 candied ginger skewer (for garnish)
Muddle ginger and simple syrup. Add bourbon, Cointreau and sour mix. Add lemon wheels and cherries; shake vigorously. Pour into pilsner glass and top with Sprite. Garnish with candied ginger skewer.
Best of Boca Hall of Fame
This is our complete list of Hall of Fame winners from this year and years past. These people and places are the cream of the crop, providing consistent greatness that keeps us coming back for more.
Affordable seafood: Whale’s Rib, Deerfield Beach
Art architect: George Bolge, Boca Raton Museum of Art
Bar: Falcon House, Delray Beach
Bartending duo: Ted Keer and Tim Baur, Falcon House, Delray Beach
Big givers: the late Eugene Lynn and Christine Lynn
Butcher: The Meating Place, Boca Raton
Celeb spotting: Amici, Palm Beach
Chinese: Uncle Tai’s, Boca Raton
Chocolate: Mr. Robert’s Chocolates, Boca Raton
Concert pioneer: the late Jon Stoll, Fantasma
Consignment shop: Church Mouse, Palm Beach
Cup of coffee: Dunkin’ Donuts
Dinner and show: Royal Room, The Colony, Palm Beach; Mai-Kai, Fort Lauderdale
Eveningwear: Nina Raynor, Delray Beach
French fries: McDonald’s; Doc’s All American, Delray Beach
Garlic bread: Renzo’s, Boca Raton
Healthy menu: Sublime, Fort Lauderdale
Legendary cocktail: Bloody Mary at Ta-Boo, Palm Beach
Italian: Arturo’s, Boca Raton
Movie theater: JM Lexus Premier Club at Muvico Palace 20, Boca Raton
Neighborhood bar: Sail Inn, Delray Beach
Overall excellence: 32 East, Delray Beach
Philanthropist of the decade: Countess Henrietta de Hoernle
Pizza: Cannoli Kitchen, Boca Raton; Jerry’s, Boca Raton
Place to buy produce: The Boys, Delray Beach
Power lunch: Max’s Grille, Boca Raton
Reason to hit Neiman Marcus (next to shopping): popovers at Mariposa
Restaurateur: Burt Rapoport, Rapoport’s Restaurant Group
Restaurant for romance: The Addison, Boca Raton
Retail beer selection: Case and Keg Beer World, Boca Raton
Seafood market: Pop’s Fish Market, Deerfield Beach; Old Dixie Seafood, Boca Raton
Signature dish: garlic spaghetti at Marianne’s, Delray Beach
Spa: Spa Palazzo, Boca Raton Resort & Club
Sports bar: Gatsby’s, Boca Raton
Spot for daytime drinks: Banana Boat, Boynton Beach; Two Georges, Boynton Beach
Steak: New York Prime, Boca Raton
Tailor: Frank-Michael Tailors, Boca Raton
Tobacconist: Bennington Tobacconist, Boca Raton
Waterfront bar: Old Key Lime House, Lantana
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