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October 31, 2025
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Rare Photos Reveal George Harrison's 1970 Visit to Deerfield Beach: Recently released photographs document George Harrison's previously secret visit to Deerfield Beach in November 1970. At that time, the former Beatles guitarist had just finished his landmark solo album, 'All Things Must Pass.' Harrison spent about 10 days in the area seeking solitude prior to the album's release, as locals quietly preserved his privacy. These images bring new insight into a little-known chapter of music history in Broward County. (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 31)
October 29, 2025
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Romance Bookstore Relocates from Deerfield Beach to Fort Lauderdale's Thrive Art Area: Steamy Lit, a bookstore specializing in romance novels, has closed its Deerfield Beach location and will reopen in Fort Lauderdale's Thrive Art District on October 4. The move aims to place the shop within a community of artists and businesses, offering opportunities for collaboration and increased, (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Sep 30)
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Show some respect: South Florida diners & servers expose unspoken rules for a…: Those of us who love to eat out have had many encounters with irritating servers. But those same waiters and waitresses may also find us diners annoying and exasperating. Can’t we all just get along? It’s no secret that South Florida restaurant patrons can be demanding. But even in the face of rude diners, restaurants are supposed to train their staffs to be polite and efficient. This is actually a complicated process behind the scenes, said Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. “Restaurant profit margins are slim, so training and development are often not a part of the process,” he said. “Also, one must recognize that restaurant front-of-house roles are somewhat high-turnover compared to other industries. With higher turnover, there is less likelihood for development of training, knowledge of all the systems (which can lead to dissatisfaction among guests), and a ‘new face’ every time regular guests return to the venue.” Restaurant owners are aware that the server-guest relationship can be fraught and say they try to train their staffs to handle all sorts of personalities. “We emphasize to our servers to actually make a connection with our guests, to not be robotic with their motions,” said Eddie Pozzuoli, co-owner of five restaurants in Palm Beach and Broward counties (including Eddie & Vinny’s in Coral Springs and Dear Olivia in Parkland). “Every individual is different and their wants and needs are different. We are in the hospitality business and and our guests need to feel comfortable with us.” Server Brian Anders works at Eddie and Vinny's in Coral Springs. Servers often make a tough job look easy. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Diners have to do their part, too, Pozzuoli said. “The guest needs to understand that we are all human and sometimes make mistakes,” he said. “As management, if we don’t have an opportunity to fix it, there shouldn’t be judgment passed on us.” Readers of “Let’s Eat, South Florida,” the Sun Sentinel’s foodie Facebook page, have voiced strong opinions on the diner-server relationship. We also received email messages from restaurant patrons grumbling about their interactions with servers and from servers lamenting customer behavior. Here are some tips culled from the conversations. Among the major takeaways: Communicate clearly and be patient, as there are often complicated situations behind the scenes that we diners can’t see. Tips from diners: How to be a better server Know who got which dish. Servers who come to the table, with plates fresh from the kitchen, and ask who got the lasagna or the prime rib exasperate many “Let’s Eat” posters, who call the process a form of “roulette” or the “auctioning off of the dishes.” Advice to servers from diner Stacy Rabstein Buckley: “Take your order in a specific way so that you know who got what!” Related Articles Dining alone in South Florida: Follow these tips for a satisfying solo meal I can’t hear you: Are restaurants getting louder? ‘Bring Your Own Food’? South Florida restaurant owners push back on this expanding trend Find your sweet spot: Here are a few of our favorite South Florida bakeries Don’t take a plate away too early. Many diners complained that servers try to remove their dishes while they are still chewing. “My fork and knife (are) still in my hand and I am clearly eating,” reader Wendy Spano Bracco said. “You have to say, ‘Excuse me, I am still eating.’ Often this happens more than once.” There’s also the other extreme on this topic: when the wait staff fails to clear empty plates. “My pet peeve as a diner is when the servers come by your table several times but don’t clear the used dishes or glasses,” AnnMarie Cardin said in an email. Include the price in the specials. Most commenters want to hear the cost of specials, although some find the price recital tacky or they tune out. As Donna Pittala put it: “I’d rather have a specials menu so I can think about it and remember it. I’ve ended up not even listening anymore unless it’s a special night and money is no object.” Time the courses with precision. Timing is a function of kitchen output and sufficient staffing, but it still irks many diners when their dishes come out too quickly. “No bigger pet peeve for me than when my entree comes before I’ve finished the starter,” wrote Hollywood resident Lori Poulton. “I don’t care how slow an eater I am, I always ask to have the order not put in until I’m finished because I want a few minutes between, but it never seems to happen.” Diners who like to eat alone seek out restaurants that make them feel welcome and not overlooked. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel file) Don’t ignore women. It’s unlikely any restaurant would intentionally turn a blind eye to half the population, but several women said they often feel passed over. “Pet peeve is female bartenders ignoring female patrons such as myself and my girlfriends at the bar,” said Maria Hopke, of Boynton Beach. “It’s not every bar but it’s enough to notice. They assume because we are women that we won’t tip. Boy are they wrong!” Diner Janie Nielsen said she is often overlooked when eating alone. “And (I have) to wave the service down because the server isn’t interested in a party of one,” she said. Make sure to greet newly seated customers and don’t disappear after you’ve served the meal. As Alana O’Connor put it in the “Let’s Eat” group: “It’s pretty simple. Greet me within 5 [minutes] of seating, check on us after food is delivered and don’t take too long to bring me the check/pay.” That is also Delray Beach resident Claudia Silverberg’s peeve: “Waiting too long to receive the check, and waiting too long for them to return so that I can pay. It shouldn’t take 15 minutes + to check out. Don’t they want to turn tables over?” Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun SentinelA diner leaves a cash tip at Olympia Flame Diner in Deerfield Beach. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) Don’t stand on top of diners while they are deciding on the tip. Tipping procedures vex even the most seasoned restaurantgoers. Many feel antagonized when servers watch as their guests choose a tip on electronic devices. And then there are the preprogrammed tip options. Peter Solomon said: “My biggest pet peeve is the new payment systems that require a tip starting at 25% and up, especially for pick-up or take-away. It’s ridiculous at table service. Used to be 20% for excellent service, 15 for decent and anything less for less than that … [Then] they are staring at you as you try to put in a custom tip.” Suggestions from servers: How to be a better diner Be ready to order. The wait staff knows diners want to socialize, but they are also working in a business that needs to keep the tables moving. “As a server it annoys me when I go to a table and I say, ‘good evening/good afternoon,’ and the answer is, ‘we’re not ready to order yet,’ ” said Gissele Belechiano of Oakland Park. Don’t leave your stuff in the middle of the table. “Be aware that your server does not want to touch your personal items — phone, keys, wallet or eye glasses,” server Janet Holloway wrote. “Place these items at the edge of the table or bring a purse.” Don’t complain on social media. Holloway had another tip for customers who are eager to criticize restaurants in very public forums. “The absolute worst thing a customer can do is to go on Yelp or Google and just trash the place and/or throw their server under the bus (from the customer’s keyboard),” Holloway said. “Address the problem when it happens with the manager on duty.” “Dining out isn’t a life-or-death experience and as long as the interaction is professional and polite, no one should ever have to be rude on either server or guest side.” — Maddy Micinski, server Respect the table set-up. That means, according to server Maria Stathis: Don’t sit at a dirty table when there are plentiful clean ones. Don’t ask to switch tables in the middle of service. Don’t take chairs or silverware from another table. “That server worked hard to prepare their station,” Stathis said. Consolidate your requests. “For example, asking for an iced tea, receiving it, asking for sugar, receiving it, then asking for lemons,” said Daniela Herrera, who works at a Delray Beach restaurant. “Had this been all requested at once, we could have saved some time with the ping-pinging and had more time to have fun.” Have situational awareness. Get a feel of how crowded the eatery is. It may not be the best time to be indecisive about your order. “With so many moving parts, when guests are not aware of how busy the restaurant is and stop their server to request recommendations, only to sit there thinking, or going ‘hmmmm…’ it can slow everyone down,” Herrera said. Don’t ask ‘Are you going to remember all this?’ “I have, in nearly a decade of being in the restaurant industry, never encountered a server who memorized orders if they could not remember them,” Herrera said. “As long as I am mentally organizing the information in my own way, I will not forget it. With that being said, when guests ask, ‘Are you going to remember this?’ I forget everything. This is a curveball that is very embarrassing to try to catch. It is a lot of extra pressure that makes me want to just use a notebook even if I do not need to.” The upshot from these conversations Give servers credit for making a tough job (usually) look easy. “Servers memorize entire menus, the layout of the restaurant, their schedules weeks in advance, and orders of our regulars,” Herrera said. “We can do this. We are a lot of caffeinated, crazy people who want to take care of the public, even if they do not always take care of us.” Server Maddy Micinski agreed: “Dining out isn’t a life-or-death experience and as long as the interaction is professional and polite, no one should ever have to be rude on either server or guest side.” (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 7)
October 24, 2025
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Deerfield Beach Welcomes Three New Oceanfront Restaurants Amid Revitalization: Deerfield Beach has introduced three new oceanfront restaurants along the revitalized S-Curve area near Hillsboro Boulevard and the International Fishing Pier. Bravo Mar and Lucky Lou’s Raw Bar have opened, with The Break House Kitchen & Beach Bar set to join them in the coming month, offering Peruvian, Caribbean cuisine, and the area’s first rooftop bar. These openings coincide with the city’s significant public infrastructure investments, including $8 million in pier upgrades. These changes mark a new chapter for the neighborhood. (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 24)
October 22, 2025
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Weekend events in Broward include Rembrandt exhibit, concerts, and theater: This weekend in Broward County features a range of activities, including a Rembrandt exhibition at the Norton Museum, concerts by Ryan Bingham and Lecrae, the debut of the Cove Farmers Market, and a Broadway production of 'Life of Pi' at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. Additional events such (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 22)
October 18, 2025
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Broward Sheriff and County Mayor Disagree Over Law Enforcement Budget: Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony and Mayor Beam Furr are at odds regarding funding for law enforcement. The sheriff sought a significant budget increase, while the county commission approved a smaller amount, citing overall budget constraints and new expenses such as the Tax Collector’s Office. O (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 18)
October 16, 2025
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Florida Stone Crab Season Opens With Stable Prices in Broward and Palm Beach: The 2025 Florida stone crab season has begun, with initial catches arriving at restaurants and seafood markets in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Prices remain steady compared to previous years, and local seafood suppliers report strong demand and good harvests, though medium-sized claws are less b (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 16)
October 9, 2025
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Eight South Florida Restaurants Temporarily Closed After Health Violations: State inspectors shut down eight restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach counties last week due to serious health code violations. Issues included wastewater backing up in a kitchen, numerous dead roaches, and live insects found in food storage. Establishments must remain closed until passing re-inspe (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 9)
October 8, 2025
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Fall Events and Halloween Activities Planned Across West Broward: Families in West Broward can look forward to a range of autumn activities, including pumpkin patches, trick-or-treating, hayrides, and local festivals. Some events feature unique options like floating pumpkin patches in community pools. The guide covers public events in Broward and Palm Beach, with (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 8)
October 6, 2025
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Pembroke Park Mayor Alleges Threat from Broward Sheriff: The mayor of Pembroke Park has accused Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony of making a physical threat, marking the second recent claim of this nature by a local official. The previous allegation came from the city manager of Deerfield Beach. Authorities have not released further details on the case (Source: Florida Bulldog on Oct 6)
October 3, 2025
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Padel Courts and Clubs Expand Across Broward and Palm Beach Counties: Padel, a racquet sport similar to tennis and pickleball, is gaining popularity in South Florida, particularly in Broward and Palm Beach counties. With dozens of clubs and hundreds of courts now available, the region has become a hub for the sport. Local facilities offer lessons and court rentals, as (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 3)
October 2, 2025
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Deerfield Beach Enters Transition After Broward Sheriff Contract Expires: Deerfield Beach's agreement with the Broward Sheriff's Office for law enforcement services ended this week, initiating a two-year transition period. The city will now pay the sheriff's office monthly, with costs subject to justification. City officials are considering whether to establish an in-town (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Oct 2)
September 23, 2025
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Rising Costs and Landlord Issues Lead to Restaurant Closures in Broward and Palm : A number of restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach counties have closed recently, citing increased rents, higher food prices, and landlord disputes. The closures include long-standing local establishments, with some owners attributing the downturn to fewer customers after tourist season and the need (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Sep 23)
September 17, 2025
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Broward County Commission Reduces Property Tax Rate for First Time Since 2017: The Broward County Commission has approved a minor reduction in the property tax rate, marking the first decrease since 2017. While most homeowners will still see higher tax bills due to increased property values, the rate cut slightly limits the increase. The change reduces anticipated county tax收入 (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Sep 17)
September 15, 2025
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Broward County Commission to Decide on Budget and Property Tax Rates: The Broward County Commission will meet to finalize a $2 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, with a focus on property tax rates amid rising property values. While some residents have requested tax relief, commissioners are not considering a rollback rate that would keep tax revenue flat. A (Source: Broward Sun-Sentinel on Sep 15)