The Annual Delray Affair Brings Art to Town

The 49th Delray Affair took place this past weekend. Atlantic Avenue was shutdown to traffic and flooded with tents and vendors with anything from ethnic cuisine to tiki hut art for sale. While the numerous creators came with their arts and crafts the "Affair" also provided musical entertainment with jazz and cover bands.

The 10 block long "Affair" is one of the oldest of it's kind in South Florida. Some examples of what was for sale included an array of colorful tye-dye shirts and signs for the garden. The "Affair" is a family event with small rides for children and toys for sale as well.

One of the most notable memories of the Delray Affair for me was from a couple seasons ago when they had a card and crayon station set up so that people could send a thank you letter to the soldiers overseas.

Boca finds Trouble Following in Delray's Footsteps to Ban Shark Fishing

In 2009 Delray Beach's city commission was able to pass an ordinance that banned shark fishing from it's beaches. The decision was brought on by safety complaints from residents as well as conservationists who argued that sharks do not do well as "hook and line" fish. 

While Delray may have been successful in their attempt to pass the ordinance, Boca Raton, however, was not. The city ran into multiple problems when fishermen argued that their right to fish is embedded in the Florida Constitution; a fact not brought up in the Delray case.

While the decision to ban shark fishing from Boca's beaches has yet to come up since addressed by the Marine Advisory Board in February there can still be cement blocks attached to liter line found on the beaches of Delray (a sure sign that people are still shark fishing).

A dead, pregnant Hammerhead shark washes up on Delray Beach last summer with a hook and line in it's mouth

Lobster Season has Generous Yield off Delray and Boca Coasts

Many people visit South Florida for not only the sand and sea but also what it yields.  The Florida Spiny Lobster is a favorite amongst Florida natives and visitors alike.

Lobster season started back in August and has just ended March 31st. Lobsters off our coasts may be taken in bag limits of 6 max per person, must meet the designated length and not possess eggs.

Every year, Capt. Tony and his boat The Diversity take locals off the Boca and Delray coast to collect their limit on the last two days of the season. This year, there were plenty of lobsters for anyone licensed to hunt; the divers took the lobsters back to the dock and had a cookout.

Atlantic Spotted Dolphins off the coast of Delray Beach

It's days like this that I have an overwhelming love for my job. I'm a divemaster aboard a boat that takes people about a mile offshore of Boca and Delray to do some underwater exploring. Some of the wildlife that divers experience on board daily, include sharks, rays and turtles. But this particular day we were lucky enough to interact with something other than fish.

While watching for surfacing divers I noticed a commotion on the surface. Captain Tony drove the boat over to the splashing surface only to discover a pod of playful dolphins. But these weren't just any dolphins they were Atlantic Spotted dolphins a species known for their playful bow riding and acrobatics. And that's just what these dolphins did.

The video speaks for itself, so enjoy watching these brilliant mammals that share just as much a desire to interact with us as we did with them.

An American Bulldog in Delray is in need of a home after being rescued from a Miami Shelter

A canine disease called distemper has broke out in a north Miami animal shelter this past Thursday. The large shelter housed around 500 dogs that were either infected with the mostly lethal disease or susceptible to catch it in a short amount of time. The shelter evacuated any dogs that weren't infected to other shelters and foster homes and the ones that were unable to be taken were euthanized.

With dogs of my own I wasn't a candidate to foster in the event that one of the dogs from the shelter could pass on the disease to one, or both, of mine. So I turned to my bachelor friend James who has a house all to himself and no animals what-so-ever.

Hours later a beautiful American Bulldog mix was delivered on to James' doorstep. She thankfully licked everyone there awaiting her arrival (and mystery breed) and made her self at home. Though James is fostering "Mimi" she will still need a permanent home in order to not go back to a shelter.

  Please contact if anyone is interested.

Fresh and Best Sushi in Delray Beach-affordable too!

Sushi is, hands down, my favorite meal;breakfast, lunch or dinner. What makes this fact so inconvenient is that sushi is usually expensive and both difficult and time consuming to make-it can be expensive as well. So where on earth, or in Delray at least, can you find reasonably priced, most importantly fresh and delicious, sushi?

Sushi Yama in Pineapple Grove (that's 2nd Street for those of you who haven't caught on yet) is possibly the freshest and least expensive sushi I have had in all of South Florida.

Sushi Yama has a lunch special Mon-Sat where some of their most popular rolls are only $5. Some of the select rolls include the Mexican Roll, Cream Cheese Roll and Lobster Roll. The only catch--In order to take advantage of the lunch special you have to dine in or order your meal for take-out by 2:30.

Tar washes up on Delray Beach

While taking a Friday afternoon stroll on the beach I suddenly felt a sticky substance attach itself to my foot. Jelly fish, you might ask? Bubble gum? Nope, tar.

During my 30 minute stroll I came across about four or five different tar balls about the size of a harmonica. While we have experienced a migration of fish and other marine organisms from the Gulf of Mexico to our Atlantic coasts, it's not certain that the oil from the Deep Water Horizon spill could have made it's way this far.

After doing some research I came across a story that Fox 29 had debuted the day I came across the tar. Tar Balls Wash up on South Florida Beaches, the article was titled. The tar that Fox 29 was referring to was found off Boca Raton's beaches only miles away from Delray.

While the article gives no explanation for the tar, further research suggests that it's from rock or ocean topography. Apparently much of the rock off the coast of California produces naturally occurring tar and it's presence at the beaches is no surprise to residents. Let's hope that's the case in Delray.

Remnants of tar I found on Delray Beach, 3.18.11

The 18th Asian Food Fair Visits Delray Beach

This weekend the Asian Food Fair and Cultural Show will visit Delray Beach's Old School Square. The fair will include a diversity of vendors that will present anything from Asian inspired jewelry to Bangladeshi food.

A variety of artists, both regional and national, will perform concerts with singing and dancing. Because a third of the festival's budget is contributed to visual  and performing arts, it's bound to be entertaining.

Admission to the Asian Food Fair is $10 and will be open both Saturday and Sunday 12-10 p.m. Old School Square is located on the corner of Atlantic Ave. and Swinton Ave.

A Chinese vegetable stir-fry dish

Delray Beach hosts the 43rd St. Patty's Day Parade

Delray Beach's 43rd annuual St. Patricks Day parade reached an audience of 85,000 people this year. From A1A to Swinton Ave. Atlantic Ave. was flooded with fire trucks, floats and marching bands.

Some of the floats included a Monster Energy truck that handed out energy drinks and the Delray Delivery Dudes float that tossed koozies while their sponsored band Small Town Gypsys rocked the Ave. The band performed the national anthem at the Grand Stand in front of the Old School Square where parade-goers crossed their hand over their heart.

The weather ended up bein ideal for a parade and everything went smoothly....even with 85,000 people.

(picture to follow)

The Colony's Cabana Club; The Best Lunch in Town

As step into The Colony's Cabana Club on Linton and A1A you are greeted with a caribbean landscape of palm trees blowing in the wind and waves crashing on shore. Just as you thought you might be in paradise the smell of fresh, mouthwatering eats confirms that you are no place like home.

The Colony is Delray Beach's historic hotel with a cabana located on the beach for hotel guests and members only. If you have any hesitation about joining, the food served at the beach club is enough of a reason.

Experienced chef, Angus Brown, is constantly perfecting the lunch menu with organic meat and only the freshest seasonal fish. The kitchen is sunny and airy with a breeze blowing through the windows and a wooden chopping table where the food is prepared; I never imagined a kitchen could be so clean.

So next time you're in Delray and think about becoming a member of The Colony, take a tour of the Cabana Club and schedule it right around lunch time.

Buy Fresh and Local Produce at Delray's Green Market

Live in the Delray area and crave fresh, local produce? Contrary to popular belief, it's not impossible to come by and in fact, it's even so attainable you can stock up on nutritious food weekly and have it handed to you straight from the grower/harvester/farmer themself.

Delray Beach's Green Market is a community of local residents that sell their home grown peppers, free-range eggs and fresh baked goods in an open air, grassy location on SE 4th Ave. (just around the corner from the Green Owl).

The market, open Saturday mornings from 8-11,  offers everything from just cut flowers to home cooked gourmet treats. Visit the Green Market on Facebook.com for weekly updates.

Anti-War Activists Protest Weekly in Delray Beach

"Enough is enough!" say the Delray Beach Anti-War Vigil. Every Monday evening, 5-6 the protesters, young and old, stand on the corner of Atlantic Ave. and Swinton Blvd. with signs pledging their statements. The statements are clear; end war.

Unlike the common image of  the young 60s activists protesting in the streets, these 1st amendment exercisers are mostly over 40. Many were soldiers in past wars and hold signs stating "veterans against war".  "Honk for Peace," is another popular sign being held at the busy intersection. The good news; there are lots of honks.

The organization suggests that you can bring your own homemade sign or borrow one.  Interested in joining the mission? RSVP at unitedforpeace.org or contact a member. They say... if you're not an activist, you're an  in-activist.

John and Yoko come to Delray Beach...in the form of Art

Touring the world for fifteen years is the display of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's art. The exhibit promotes the couples message of peace with signed pieces, lithographs and even drawings Lennon did for his son. There will also be lyrics displayed and original artwork by Lennon and Ono between the years of 1964 and 1980. Much of Lennon's work was drawn before he was a member of the Beatles and include a piece of an elephant counting sheep.

Showcasing in Old School Square in Delray Beach the art will be on display from Friday the 25th through Sunday the 27th. Admission is free with a suggested donation of $2 that will join the hundreds of thousands already raised for charities. The message is simple...give peace a chance.

Delray Beach hosts the International Tennis Championship

With names like John McEnroe gracing Delray (and the courts) with his presence there's no reason you shouldn't attend the 2011 International Tennis Championship...if you like tennis that is.

The event also includes names like Aaron Krickstein, one of the youngest record  breaking players, as well as Jay Berger who ranked a career high of #7 in the world for tennis players. Aside from our usual American heroes there are tennis fan's all time favorites from Australia, Argentina and Japan.

Tennis not visually stimulating enough? The executive director of the event, John Butler who doubles as an artist, paints lively murals on the east and west walls of the stadium giving it an artsy signature expressive of the town it's hosted in.

In case you haven't noticed, the Delray Beach Tennis Center in located on West Atlantic. You can get the pricey tickets online at yellowtennisball.com.

The Best Place for a Homecooked Meal in Delray; Bamboo Fire Cafe

Living in Delray for the last three years, I've experimented with a ton of restaurants. Coming from Key West, I have always been so spoiled in having a variety of fresh, home cooked Caribbean food to choose from when dining out. After moving to the mainland I quickly found that it isn't always that easy to find genuinely good-for-the-soul food. In a city over-run with corporate chains and franchises there is one place where you can get the best that Delray, even South Florida, has to offer.

Bamboo Fire Cafe is a locally owned restaurant on 4th Avenue in downtown Delray Beach. The owners, which double as your servers and chefs, will greet you at your table with a consultation about your menu choices. Jerk, baked, fried? Potatoes, plantains, french fries? The chef will personally accommodate you so that your experience and food there is more than perfect. And for dessert? You will be offered a tasty Caribbean rum. Yum.

Always fresh and seasonal the food at Bamboo Fire Cafe is almost as wonderfull as the family serving you.

Food, Art and Thrifting in Pineapple Grove

Downtown Delray has a lot to offer; restaurants, art galleries and even hair salons. But with a plethora of food and shopping to choose from it's Pineapple Grove that serves as home to some of the best businesses in town.

The Pineapple Grove art district includes local bars like O'Conner's Irish Pub, Christina's breakfast cafe and bookstores such as Murder on the Beach. There are also several notable boutique and thrift stores like Kismet (bring in your old designer clothes and receive store credit toward others).

The Grove houses a variety of local's favorite restaurants such as a  Brulee which offers a seasonal menu and Dolce Amor serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. To get to Pineapple Grove take NE 2nd Avenue north off Atlantic. There, unlike "The Ave" you can find plenty of parking.

The Delray Beach Playhouse presents...

"Be Moved, Be Thrilled, Be Here" is the Delray Beach Playhouse's slogan. The local venue is a mini-broadway that presents plays like last week's Always Patsy Cline.

Located on 9th street in Delray, the playhouse is a great creative alternative to a night on the Ave. During season (which is now) the playhouse offers weekly shows, often times comedy. Another great aspect of the playhouse is it's Children's Theatre which presents plays such as Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Seussical Jr., one of the most performed plays in America right now.  

The next show to hit the stage is a comedy by Murray Schisgal, LUV. The show will be presented from March 25th-April 10th. Contact the Delray Beach Playhouse for tickets.

Coffee District; a local coffee shop just down the street but far from Starbucks

The first reason Coffee District is better than Starbucks is because they serve beer and wine. The tap is always a'changin with seasonally delicious brews that you can't find anywhere else in town. Also available for purchase are the best black and white cookies you can find.

The second reason the District rules locally over it's corporate competition is because free Wi-Fi is included with your latte or glass of wine. Whatever it is you're stopping in for whether it be a hot chai, pale ale or black and white cookie (did I mention they are the best) you are free and encouraged to plop down on the leather couch and plug in your computer.

The final reason that Coffee District is the best choice for a beverage in Delray is because it's locally owned and operated. The cafe also serves as a poker and open mic night venue depending on the night of the week.

A small town band with a big city sound; Small Town Gypsys

Small Town Gypsys, all Ys no Is insists the guitarist, is a four piece psychedelic soul, blues groove, funk fusion band (eat your heart out Cream) that is primarily headed out of Delray Beach.

Kendra Williams lends her soul bearing pipes while Adam Shepard brings his earth shaking drumming to the table; or stage rather. Dave Robinowitz isn't your average "pocket" bass player and songwriter Tanner Hill provides the nasty guitar licks with the anything but nasty lyrics.

The band, that often plays at venues such as Dada in Delray Beach and Propaganda in Lake Worth is truly a diamond in the rough; especially when searching for originality in the otherwise not-so-original South Florida air.

Small Town Gypsys bio and music can be experienced at ReverbNation and Myspace.

Buddy Guy rocks Delray Beach's Garlic Fest

Legendary guitarist, Buddy Guy, rocked the stage this Garlic Fest in Delray Beach. The 74-year-old blues artist is known as the pioneer for the Chicago Blues sound as well as being noted as one of the Top 100 Guitarists by Rolling Stone Magazine.

Not atypical for a Buddy Guy performance, the artist strolled into the crowd at Delray Beach's historic Old School Square to shake the hands of fans and rub off some of the good vibes. While Guy played many of his classic well-known tunes he also managed to excite the crowd with Jimi Hendrix's "Voo Doo Child" and Cream's "Sunshine of your Love".

Other bands that performed during Delray's Garlic Fest weekend included Dark Star Orchestra (a Grateful Dead cover band) and Led Hed (a Led Zeppelin cover band). 

Delray Beach's shark fishing laws serve as an example for surrounding cities

Last week, the Marine Advisory Board met in Boca Raton to address the new city ordinance that would outlaw shark fishing from their beaches. Boca's residents were mimicking a law that Delray Beach first put into place early last year.

The Delray Beach ordinance states that no one can, with heavy tackle, fish or chum from the beach for sharks. While there are a ton of obvious reasons that Delray didn't want fishermen pulling up sharks on it's beaches (bad P.R., safety, tourism) perhaps the most overlooked, worthwhile argument for stopping the fishing is conservation.

Last summer, just after Delray's ordinance passed, a pregnant, dead hammerhead washed up on shore during a very busy beach day. The shark had a J hook in it's mouth and had appeared to had died after a long struggle on hook and line. The fact of the matter is, sharks are horrible hook and line fish, they must swim to breath. The hammerhead had 35 dead pups inside of her.

Boca's ordinance is currently pending. But no shark fishing in Delray.

Tis' the season for Delray Beach surf and kiting

While the high wind and low temperatures keep most beach goers away this time of year, there are a few locals and even commuters screamin' surfs' up in Delray Beach. This time of year "weather permitting" means an east swell with a glassy west wind for the less than perfect surf.

Surfers and kite boarders alike drive from as far south as Key West in these windy months as soon as the weather channel calls for a small storm in the Atlantic to send South Florida some sweet waves. Even as hundreds of spinner sharks migrate south, you will still see dozens of riders in wetsuits on boards awaiting perfect sets.

Though the kite boarders need the wind and the surfers dig the waves,  you can bet you'll run into at least one giant kite in the sky or a shaggy haired surfer watchin' the sets. Next time you think about hittin' the beach grab your board cause there's a good chance that surfs' up...dude.

The Flyers play every Wednesday night in Delray

Wednesday is hump day. It’s that awkward time of the week when you’re not sure if  you need a drink--or an early night to bed. However, if you need incentive to go out for a couple of cold beers, then The Flyers are it.

Every Wednesday night, The Flyers play at Johnnie Browns (formerly known as Elwoods) and it’s been that way ever since I’ve moved to Delray Beach.  Before it’s renovations the place was a grungy (in a good way), stale, biker-esk bar. Though Johnnie Brown’s is a little classier and serves decent food, the band hasn’t changed much.

The Flyers are a three piece rock/blues/soul band that play only the best familiar tunes from the record vault. They wont bore you with Jimmy Buffett covers (you can find those elsewhere on the Ave); The Flyers are only playing music that makes you move and keeps you coming back. 

Though the address is technically on the "Ave" Johnnie Browns is also on the corner of Railroad Avenue (for the purpose of this "Off the Ave" blog). 

Keep the North end of Delray Beach for the locals

With Delray being a very tourist friendly town and all, us locals often find ourselves subject to fines and surrounded by bogus rules and regulations we feel we just shouldn't have to follow sometimes. I mean, should we really have to pay $1.25 an hour for parking at the beach? We live here!

However, if it's a sunny day and you happen to have air in the tires of your beach cruiser, there is a place you can go and your pup can come too. It's the north end of Delray Beach. Very important that it be the northern most end.

Here, not according to the law exactly, you can unleash your dog and relax on the beach amongst locals like yourself. At the north end, there are absolutely no techno blasting boom boxes or pasty tourists leaving their pounds of trash behind. If it's to your liking, the north end is also more friendly to topless tanning than other parts of the beach. (Again, I will have to disclaim that this advice is based on assertion and not legality).

The signs do state NO DOGS, but they also suggest NO LITTERING. If you ask me, I find my dog's compostable  manure that I responsibly pick up, far less of an offense than the plastic cheese wrappers visitors watch blow off their towels, down the beach and into the water like pelicans in formation.

So next time you want to go to the beach, head to the north end. You can bring the pup, tan topless and you'll be able to remember the faces you see there. Or, perhaps the most memorable thing you will recognize about someone won't be their face.

Diving Delray Beach for sunken sight seeing

There are a ton of things to do in Delray. Homey bistros, live music and the occasional street fair. But one of my favorite places to visit in town isn't even in walking distance. You have to swim there.

The S.S. Inchulva is a 1903 shipwreck scattered in about 20ft of water 150 yards off shore of Delray Beach. What's left of the wreck is the ship's cylindrical boiler that can be reached from the beach using snorkel gear.

This underwater archive serves as an artificial reef that is home to tropical fish, lobsters and southern stingrays. This was the first place my amateur snorkeler, Texas boyfriend experienced a pair of spotted eagle rays soaring over him. He now frequents, as the locals call it, "the boiler".

On a flat calm, clear, sunny day there's nowhere else to be in Delray.

Honest hair'care' without the Avenue flair

As you walk into One Aveda Salon in Delray Beach it's almost as if you have entered a portal like no other in the oh-so unpredictable salon industry. The air lacks the smell of harmful chemicals and you are greeted with a comforting tea rather than an up/down stare-glare. No need to keep your fingers crossed, the girls at One are Aveda trained which means they are not only knowledgeable in the hair biz but in the art of natural beauty as well. If you know anything about the brand then you know that their products are naturally derived from plant and flower extracts.

The owner Cindy Vickery works with local charities and communities to enhance the quality of our local clique here in Delray. She'll be the one running around greeting customers and picking fresh palm fronds from the foliage out front to stick in a vase on the big teak table.

The salon also gets a great clientele. Artists, local business owners and the occasional snow bird often network in the friendly environment that acts like more of a public sphere than a salon.

So if you're tired of the nonsensical prices and pretentious attitude that often comes with a haircut, go visit the folks at One for a complimentary hand massage with your service. Oh yea, first time guests get $20 off their first service! Call today to set up an appointment 561-272-1147

"Avenue" food without the "Avenue" atmosphere

So it's a Saturday night and you decide you want to lay low for the eve. You did the drinking last night and want to enjoy some fresh Lemongrass sushi without having to don the Ed Hardy attire and fight your way through the slow moving people watchers on the sidewalk of Atlantic Ave. That's where the Dudes come in.

Delray Delivery Dudes is a delivery service that brings you food from the Delray Beach restaurants that otherwise don't deliver. Because many of the healthy eateries in Delray are high volume operations, they rarely ever have a delivery service. Now, that has all changed. It's as easy as 1,2,3.
1. Go to Delivery Dudes website to view the menus
2. Call the dudes, 561.900.7060 and place your order
3. When the dudes arrive have either cash or a credit card ready

The dudes' add a $5 delivery charge to every order and that DOE'S NOT include tip. When being generous, remember that the dudes have to place your order with the restaurant, go pick it up, then deliver to your residence...and they're hasty too.

So next time you feel like enjoying a fresh salad from Brule and want to forgo the otherwise salty, all too familiar chinese food call the dudes!