Our local guide to some of the best specialty foods in our area

The South Florida brewery scene has been growing. With dozens of breweries throughout the area, the craft beer scene has never been better. “Hop” on over to one of these local breweries for a fresh and flavorful glass of beer and delicious food.

World of Beer
4437 Lyons Road, Suite 101, Coconut Creek

World of Beer is the premier spot for beer enthusiasts and novices alike. Whether you have a beer cellar at home or hate how beer tastes, their staff will walk you through what’s available and allow you to try them before buying. With 40 craft beers on tap, 250 in the cooler, and a menu of mouthwatering tavern fare crafted to go perfectly with beer, you won’t be disappointed at World of Beer.

Big Bear Brewing Company
1800 N. University Drive, Coral Springs

Beer tastes best when it’s made fresh. Big Bear Brewing Co. beer is made fresh and in-house on a daily basis. They use only the finest ingredients, guaranteeing a fresh and natural glass of beer every time. Paired with their high-quality and creative food menu, you’ll enjoy every bite (and sip) in the warm and friendly atmosphere.

BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
1580 N. University Drive, Coral Springs

Celebrate the joy of craft beer and good food at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, where they pride themselves in their craft and attention to detail. The innovative and broad menu features delicious entrees and, of course, their very own award-winning handcrafted beers on tap every day. In addition to their 11 signature beers and cider, they offer seasonal and local brews as well.

26º Brewing Co.
2600 E. Atlantic Blvd., Pompano Beach

26º Brewing Co. is a local craft beer brewer and tap room with friendly, helpful staff and fantastic beers. Within the over 21,000-square-foot facility, you’ll find their 4,600-square-foot taproom, which brews some of the best craft beers around. Check out their website and social media to learn about their upcoming events and fun themed nights.

Black Flamingo Brewery
3260 NW 23rd Ave., #400 E, Pompano Beach

Brewing up a wide variety of constantly rotating experimental ales, Black Flamingo Brewery crafts unique and delicious artisan beers that showcase the vibrant and diverse culture of South Florida. The brewery promotes local talent and offers entertaining theme nights and various entertainment throughout the week. Check out their website and social media to learn more.

Fun Facts

• You can chill a beer in two minutes; just put ice and salt in a bowl and stir.
• Frosty glasses will cause your beer to foam.
• The sugar in beer is said to supercharge your plants.
• You can use beer as a conditioner. Apparently, good-quality brews will leave your locks silky and soft.

If you would like your eatery to be featured in Delicious Dining, please email Local.Features@theparklander.com.

Social media is meant to make us feel connected to others by allowing us to share our world with friends and family. If used sparingly, it can help form meaningful relationships and complement our social life in a positive manner. However, platforms like Snapchat and Instagram are designed to be addictive, and too much use can be associated with anxiety, depression, and cyberbullying. When does social media use become too much, and how do you know when it’s too much for your children?

The Pew Research Center reports that 69% of adults and 81% of teenagers in the U.S. use social media on a regular basis. This isn’t surprising, given that social media activates the brain’s reward center by releasing dopamine, the “feel-good chemical” linked to pleasurable activities like food, sex, and social interaction. Social media can provide many benefits, such as helping people in remote areas find bigger communities of support or acting as a substance-free escape from daily stressors.

Today’s children and teenagers are growing up with social media; they have never seen a world without posts, likes, comments, shares, or 24/7 access to news. Even my 5-year-old daughter talks about “clicking like and subscribing to my content” when she’s playing. In some ways, online interaction can come easier to youngsters who struggle with real-world social dynamics. But of course, everything is good in moderation, and excessive involvement with the cyber world can be detrimental to people of all ages.

There is a slippery slope with social media. Since the pandemic, we have seen a surge in social anxiety, especially when kids started to get back to in-person school, activities, and playdates. Having gotten used to the online world during quarantine, some kids became uncomfortable and anxious when meeting people face to face. The anonymity that social media provides can be great for those who are anxious, but it could also make in-person events more difficult for them.

Research from the Journal of Adolescence demonstrated that adolescents who overused social media—especially at night—appeared more emotionally invested in it, as well as experiencing poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem, and higher levels of anxiety and depression compared with teens whose social media was limited.

Social media can be detrimental when it becomes a way of life, or when kids (and adults) become obsessive about it. If you or your children find that social media is a constant focus of attention, or if you are judging your self-worth from your “likes,” “dislikes,” or followers, it is likely time to reconsider the levels of social media usage in your home.

How do you know you need a break? Teens or younger kids aren’t always able to self-regulate or know when they need to take a break from social media. Parents need to monitor accounts and screen time to ensure that children aren’t spending more than 2-3 hours a day on screens. Parents should get to know some of the accounts their kids follow to check that they are a positive influence and are not promoting poor body image or negative self-worth.

As a board-certified child psychiatrist, I always recommend asking children questions on a regular basis to see if they appear preoccupied with getting likes or follows on their posts or videos. I would also suggest following their YouTube channel to look for anyone “trolling,” or posting mean comments. Additionally, observe your kids to see if they appear sad or angry after checking social media. This can be a sign that it is problematic. If your child can’t put down the phone or iPad without getting anxious or upset, then a break is surely needed.

Here are some other recommendations:

• Schedule tech-free times for the family—like during meals, homework, and bedtime.
• Look up some app blockers and parental control devices.
• Discuss and set designated time limits on access to social media.
• Turn the Wi-Fi off overnight to ensure that teens are not using social media when they aren’t supposed to.

There are always ways to improve the family’s interactions with the online world. The more openly parents communicate with children, the better they will understand how social media affects the way young people think about others and feel about themselves.

http://PMBehavioralHealth.com

Dr. Nicole Mavrides is the Medical Director of Psychiatry for PM Pediatrics. Dr. Mavrides is quadruple board certified in pediatrics, adult/child psychiatry, and consultation liaison psychiatry. Previously, Dr. Mavrides was the training director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and the medical director of the Pediatric Psychiatry Consultation Liaison Program at the University of Miami. She is one of the premier specialists for children with medical and psychiatric issues in South Florida

Parkland native Ian Bartoszek does not hesitate to hail Dion the snake as an MVP—“Most Valuable Python.”

After all, thanks to Dion, a “scout” snake, Bartoszek and his fellow biologists at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida removed five Burmese pythons during the last breeding season. “[Dion] had five girlfriends,” Bartoszek jokes.

However, Burmese pythons and their effect on South Florida’s wildlife are no laughing matter. The Burmese python is a large, nonvenomous constrictor that is an invasive species in Florida. You will find them primarily in and around the Everglades ecosystem. The snake represents a threat to native wildlife, but “they’re not interested in us,” Bartoszek says.

One of the snakes captured during this past breeding season was the heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida, according to Bartoszek. Specifically, it weighed 215 pounds, measured nearly 18 feet long, and had 122 developing eggs. A necropsy found that an adult white-tailed deer was its last meal.

“Imagine what else she ate over her life[time],” Bartoszek says.

The necropsy, which National Geographic documented, took place in March. Before the December 2021 capture, the largest female removed through the conservancy’s program measured 16 feet and weighed 185 pounds. At the time, it was the heaviest python captured in Florida.

Bartoszek, a 1995 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School graduate, says that at first, he and his colleagues were unimpressed. “We all underestimated the weight,” says Bartoszek, environmental science project manager for the conservancy’s program. “When we brought her back to the lab and put [her] on the scale, there was a collective wow factor. When we looked, the scale read 215 pounds. We’ve lost count of how many large pythons we’ve captured over the years. To be honest with you, it’s just another big snake for us. There’s always a bigger snake out there.”

Ten years ago, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida started a radio telemetry project to track Burmese pythons in order to learn about their behavior. Since then, Bartoszek and his team removed more than 1,000 pythons collectively weighing more than 26,000 pounds from an area of less than 100 square miles outside of Naples.

Bartoszek and his team use radio transmitters transplanted in male “scout” snakes, such as Dion, to study python movements, breeding behaviors, and habitat use.

Since the conservancy’s python program began in 2013, necropsies have found dozens of white-tailed deer inside Burmese pythons. Also, data researchers at the University of Florida have documented 24 species of mammals, 47 species of birds, and two reptile species in pythons’ stomachs.

The breeding season for Burmese pythons runs from November through March. Last season, Bartoszek and his team removed 4,300 pounds of python from the study area outside of Naples. He says the previous season yielded about the same number.

Removing female pythons plays a large role in disrupting the breeding cycle, Bartoszek says. But that can be easier said than done. Indeed, Burmese pythons are “amazingly cryptic” and hard to locate, he adds. Furthermore, they expand their range each year. Parkland is on the edge of that range, the wildlife scientist says.

The public can report invasive animal sightings by calling 1-888-IVEGOT1. In addition, people can report sightings of invasive species on the IveGot1 app, available at the App store. The app is an integrated invasive species reporting and outreach campaign for Florida that includes the app, a website with direct access to invasive species reporting, and a hotline for instant reports of live animals.

Searching the Woods for Critters

While Bartoszek currently captures huge snakes, he recalled flipping over rocks as a child in the woods in search of critters.

“I always had the bug for turning over stones, seeing where critters were hiding,” he says.

In addition, Bartoszek’s father used to take him fishing. He says those experiences made him appreciate Florida’s wildlife more. As a college student at the University of Arizona, the Parkland native studied wildlife and fisheries science. He recalls coming home from school for the holidays during his college years and appreciating the Everglades and South Florida’s water world even more.

“You have to get away from it to appreciate it sometimes,” Bartoszek says.

After earning his degree, he landed an internship at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. His responsibilities included working on projects for the Everglades restoration. Also, he recorded wildlife and became more aware of the area’s invasive animal issue. The internship led to Bartoszek’s employment with the conservancy.

Bartoszek says if you told him 11 years ago that he would track one of the largest snakes on the planet, he would not have believed you. He has encountered “some pretty incredible things.”

He says, “You really can’t make this stuff up.”

Living near the water in South Florida has a lot of advantages. I got to experience one of the best ones this summer.

I took a two-hour, narrated yacht cruise aboard the Lady Atlantic on the Intracoastal Waterway, from Delray Beach to Boca Raton and back. The waters were calm and peaceful, the route was beautiful as we passed impressive mansions lining the shores, and the boat was mostly shaded and comfortable for our journey.

I had made reservations in advance (recommended) and boarded the yacht on a Saturday for the 5:30 p.m. sightseeing tour as part of a group of four couples. Lady Atlantic was docked at Veterans Park on East Atlantic Avenue in Delray. We planned to eat dinner at a nearby restaurant after we got back to town, although they sell food and drinks on board the cruise. We got in line early to secure a good spot on the middle deck (which is covered), and we grabbed a couple of small tables that were located at the stern of the boat overlooking the water, pulling up eight chairs at our prime spot. We were ready to cruise!

A server came around with paper menus listing the drinks and appetizers available, and we ordered something for everybody in our group. We also were located close to the inside bar, for those who wanted to go in and get a drink quickly.

At 5:30 our vessel started to move, turning slowly around to go south on the water and waiting for the drawbridge at Atlantic Avenue to go up at 5:45. As a two-year resident of Florida, it was my first time seeing the tall bridge spans standing up from the vantage point of a boat on the water, and I got a little thrill from finally getting to do that.

We slowly cruised south out of downtown Delray and toward Boca Raton, looking from side to side depending on what our narrator was telling us over the intercom about the sights on either bank of the water. There were many interesting, huge properties along the way, some with pools and elaborate yards and gardens, and we learned about some of the pro athletes who had mansions on the Intracoastal as we passed by them. It was easy to stand up and walk around to get good photos of the sights, as the waves were never rocky on our cruise.

As we made our way to Boca, we learned a little about the area’s history from our excellent narrator. My friends and I were also surprised to see how many houses along the way seemed to stand empty; we soon learned that these impressive homes were just one of a few properties that someone might own. Because we were doing this cruise in the summer, many homeowners were gone and probably staying up north. It also meant that everything in the area was less crowded — a nice bonus!

Like clockwork, when we got to our destination in Boca at 6:30 p.m., the vessel made a U-turn and we headed back the other way to complete the journey in two hours. We got to see the churning waters and the picturesque properties from the other direction now.

After we returned back to Veterans Park, everybody lined up to slowly disembark, with help from the staff. My friends said they wanted to do another cruise sometime, maybe to go north toward Manalapan Island, another option offered. We are hoping to see manatees in the water there in the wintertime.

Delray Yacht Cruises also offers 1:30 p.m. boat tours, holiday lights cruises during December, and private charter cruises. For more information, visit www.delraybeachcruises.com.

I love the high holidays! I love being with family, friends, and community. And this year is even more special because after two years we will be together.

As a rabbi who prepares hours on end for these services, I know I have an advantage. And that comes from spending time with the liturgy and readings. As a result, I have come to see myself in the holy days.

I’ll explain.

It may sound strange coming from a rabbi, whose religion is deeply immersed in the idea of “tradition,” that I need religious celebrations and observances to inform and inspire me in the present.

Traditions help create connections to the past and deepen religious feeling, but our inherited traditions also need meaning that speaks to the needs or challenges of our times. I have learned that even our most ancient traditions can address life in the present.

The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, is the beginning of what are known as the High Holy Days. It is followed by the “Ten Days of Repentance.” These 10 days are meant for self-reflection and consideration of our own behaviors. They culminate on the holiest day, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

So, what can be said that’s particularly meaningful for us and our world today?

Central to the Ten Days is a notion of teshuvah, which literally means “return” and calls upon us to examine ourselves and see where we can improve. We might ask, “How can I be kinder, more patient, more forgiving, more giving in this world?” Looking at all of the disturbing events and issues in our world, we can easily be overwhelmed and feel helpless. But when personal reflection leads to change, we give ourselves agency to fix some of the problems of the world.

The most profound message of these holidays reminds us that the world begins with you and me! In a world that is so deeply divided, where there is so much violence against each other and our environment, where there is anger and hostility and such intolerance for the “other,” this ancient tradition tells us to look at ourselves and see what we can do to create change for the better.

I wish all a good, healthy, and meaningful New Year! Shana Tova.

David Steinhardt is a senior rabbi at B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton.