Florida Living LIfe

August Birthday Month Celebration, Part 2: Miami, Family & More Florida Adventures
Episode Summary
Julie and Jamie continue their August birthday month celebration with a trip to Miami, a visit to Aventura Mall, more restaurant stops, and a meaningful look at Julie's family history.
From South Beach and Fogo de Chão to an unexpected overnight stay in Boca Raton, they share the highs and lows of their adventures. They also talk about taking down the Wall of Fame at Julie's mother's house, a collection of photos celebrating the famous people her father cooked for throughout his career.
And of course, they wrap up with more restaurant recommendations, including one of Julie and Jamie's favorite discoveries of the month.

🌴 Miami & South Beach
Julie and Jamie spend a night in South Beach, staying at Hotel Balfour. While the hotel was not Jamie's favorite, they enjoyed being in Miami and reflecting on how much South Beach has changed over the years.
They also realize they missed some of the iconic South Beach experience, including walking Ocean Drive and seeing famous landmarks, so a return trip may be in order.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights
Fogo de Chão
A definite favorite from the Miami trip. Julie and Jamie loved the Brazilian steakhouse, especially the meats, buffet, fried bananas, gluten free popovers, mushroom soup, olives, cheese, and cheesecake. A great choice for a birthday or special celebration.
Red Pine
An unexpected Boca Raton stop after deciding to stay overnight rather than drive home. Jamie gives the egg rolls high marks, while Julie enjoyed her meal. The edamame was not a favorite, but overall it was an interesting restaurant experience.
Cheesecake Factory
The next morning brought breakfast, including chicken and waffles, an omelet, potatoes, bacon, and a birthday cheesecake. It was a solid breakfast and another stop during their extended birthday celebration.
Alfresco
One of the biggest restaurant highlights of the episode. Located near Lake Worth Beach on a public par-three golf course, Alfresco offers beautiful views of the ocean and golf course. Julie and Jamie both agree that the food was fantastic, with the chicken parm, spaghetti, linguini, pizza, and appetizers standing out.

🛍 Aventura Mall
Julie and Jamie visit Aventura Mall, which Julie calls the best mall she has visited in Florida so far. They explore specialty stores, Nordstrom, and the food court, where Jamie gets Shake Shack and Julie tries arepas.
Julie also shares the experience of trying on a Louis Vuitton bag for the first time.

❤️ A Family Memory
While renovating Julie's mother's house, they had to take down the Wall of Fame that displayed photos of Julie's father with celebrities he cooked for, including Frank Sinatra, Liberace, Pavarotti, Joan Rivers, Don Rickles, Donna Summer, Tony Orlando, and many others.
After nearly ten years since Julie's father passed away, taking the photos down was emotional. The wall needs to be preserved because of a ceiling leak, but the family plans to create something new with the collection.

🎵 Coming Up
Julie and Jamie look forward to seeing 311 and Dirty Heads, with Rome also on the concert lineup. Julie promises to share how the concert goes on the next episode.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
What are your favorite restaurants and things to do in South Florida? Tell Julie and Jamie where they should go next!
Visit floridalivinglife.com to send them a message and share your recommendations.

WAYS TO WORK WITH US
Brand sponsorships and content placement
Featured guest podcast interviews
Scenes From the Table live recordings
Food and lifestyle brand features
Virtual and on location options available
📞 Call or Text: 973-281-6896
📧 julie@julieriga.com

🍔 Restaurant Hashtags
#fogodechao #redpine #alfresco #cheesecakefactory
📌 Episode Hashtags
#floridalivinglife #southfloridaeats #floridafood #foodpodcast #palmbeachcounty

August Birthday Month Celebration, Part 1: Food, Fun & Living Life
Episode Summary

Julie and Jamie are back with a jam-packed look at their August birthday month celebration. From favorite restaurants and seafood dinners to a movie, shopping, and an unexpected bowling night, they share the places they visited and the experiences they had while celebrating.
It was a month filled with good food, trying new things, and getting out and enjoying life. They give their honest opinions on some South Florida favorites, along with a few places that did not quite hit the mark.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights

Bimini Twist
A birthday month stop featuring fried shrimp, salmon with dill, and some seriously good onion rings. Jamie calls the fried shrimp one of the best in South Florida.

Singing Bamboo
A Chinese restaurant featuring homemade sesame chicken that Julie and Jamie both enjoyed.

Avalon Beach House
A stop after seeing Spider-Man at the movies. The calamari and chicken were decent, while the smash burger was less impressive.

Riggins Crab House
One of Julie's birthday month favorites. If you love crabs, this is the place to go. Julie's friend ordered several different kinds of crab, making it a memorable birthday celebration.

China Garden
Another birthday month dinner centered around lobster. Julie loved the lobster and its sauce, while the sesame chicken did not impress Jamie.

The Boys Market
Julie and Jamie share their honest take on visiting the market on a busy weekend. Their biggest takeaway? Go during the week when it is less crowded.

Lucille's
The brisket nachos remain a fan favorite. Julie and Jamie agree that the portion is large enough to share with two or even three people.

City Seafood – Boca Raton
Another birthday month stop as Julie and Jamie continued celebrating with friends and family over great food.

Batch – Delray Beach

The burnt ends and wings were the highlights, while the fried chicken was too salty and the burger was only mediocre.

🎳 Trying Something Different
Julie and Jamie also went bowling, despite not having bowled in years. Jamie scored a 94 but still beat Julie!
For Julie, the important part was not the score. It was getting out, trying something different, and enjoying the experience. Sometimes living life means doing something you would not normally choose to do.

🛍 A Day in Delray
Julie also stopped at Versona before heading to the Delray Marketplace. With restaurants, shopping, ice cream, movies, and bowling, they agree it makes for a fun date night destination.

🎂 August Birthday Month
August turned into a full birthday month celebration filled with restaurants, outings, family, and new experiences. Julie's takeaway is simple: celebrate your life, get out there, and do something you do not normally do.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
What are your favorite restaurants and things to do in South Florida? Tell Julie and Jamie where they should go next!
Visit floridalivinglife.com to send them a message and share your recommendations.

WAYS TO WORK WITH US
Brand sponsorships and content placement
Featured guest podcast interviews
Scenes From the Table live recordings
Food and lifestyle brand features
Virtual and on location options available

📞 Call or Text: 973-281-6896
📧 julie@julieriga.com
🍔 Restaurant Hashtags

#biminitwist #singingbamboo #rigginscrabhouse #lucilles

📌 Episode Hashtags

#floridalivinglife #southfloridaeats #floridafood #foodpodcast #palmbeachcounty

Seasons 52, City Fish Market and the Lost Wallet That Led to the Best Egg Rolls in Loxahatchee

Episode Summary

Julie and Jamie pack two weeks into one episode and somehow make it look easy. A standout seafood dinner in Boca. A gluten free flatbread that keeps earning repeat visits. A breakfast on Worth Avenue after missing out on tickets to a sold out event. A lost wallet that led them to Loxahatchee and accidentally to one of the best happy hours they have had in months. Florida Living Life is always eating, always moving, and always finding the good stuff.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights

Seasons 52 – Boca Raton
A four time visit and still delivering every single time. The wood grilled rainbow trout is Jamie's go to. Julie is loyal to the gluten free cheesesteak flatbread, which she calls outrageous. An exceptional choice for anyone managing gluten, dairy, or nut allergies. One of the most consistently great restaurants in South Florida.

City Fish Market – Boca Raton
The wow moment of the last two weeks. One of the better places in Boca Raton for a proper seafood dinner without the outrageous price tag. Entrees around $30. The fried shrimp, fried calamari, and a rich soupy fisherman style seafood pot were all standouts. The atmosphere and staff were exceptional. A must visit for seafood lovers in Palm Beach County.

Bricktops – Palm Beach, Worth Avenue
A breakfast stop on a spontaneous Palm Beach day. Right on Worth Avenue with valet parking so you can walk the avenue right after your meal. Julie had the turkey bacon avocado club sandwich, rated an eight out of ten. Jamie had the burger and called it memorable. A sweet and welcoming restaurant in a prime location.

Jebrowski's – Loxahatchee, Florida
A happy accident that turned into a great night. A New England style atmosphere run by two sisters originally from Connecticut. The happy hour is worth showing up for. The egg rolls with balsamic drizzle rated an eight out of ten fresh out of the oven. Jamie had the Rodeo Burger and rated it an eight point five. Julie got the gluten free pizza with a garlic parmesan crust brush that the waitress talked her into and she is glad she listened. A new location opening soon in Royal Palm Beach.

📍 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach
A full walk down Worth Avenue including stops at Louis Vuitton, Tory Burch, Tiffany, and Gucci. Julie tried on a bag at Louis Vuitton for the first time in her life. Jamie is still thinking about the $1,000 Cartier sunglasses from the Palm Beach Chamber event. The Gucci store earned the title of best store on the avenue.

🎵 Coming Up
Toto, Christopher Cross, and The Romantics on the concert radar this Friday. Lionel Richie was on the wish list but $900 seats made the Louis Vuitton bag look like a bargain. The new Spider Man movie is also on the weekend plan.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
Visit floridalivinglife.com to send a message. Tell them what restaurants to visit next. Restaurant owners in the Palm Beach and Boca Raton area are invited to reach out for a visit and a review.

WAYS TO WORK WITH US
Brand sponsorships and content placement
Featured guest podcast interviews
Scenes From the Table live recordings
Food and lifestyle brand features
Virtual and on location options available

📞 Call or Text: 973-281-6896
📧 julie@julieriga.com
🍔 Restaurant Hashtags

#Seasons52 #CityFishMarket #Bricktops #Jebrowskis

📌 Episode Hashtags

#FloridaLivingLife #SouthFloridaEats #FloridaFood #FoodPodcast #PalmBeachCounty

Scenes From the Table, Bourbon Steak and the Executive Chef Who Lands Every Service

Episode Summary

This week is something different. Florida Living Life does a podcast swap with Stay On Course Ingredients for Success as Julie sits down with Pablo Valencia, Executive Chef at the brand new Bourbon Steak on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Part tasting, part life lesson, part skydiving story. This is one of the most inspiring conversations in the life of this podcast.
Pablo Valencia is sharp, warm, and full of wisdom. If you love food and love hearing what it really takes to run a world class kitchen, this episode is for you.

🍽 Featured Restaurant

Bourbon Steak – Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach
Part of the Michael Mina restaurant group and open just three months at the time of this recording. Already earning its place as one of the most exciting new restaurants in South Florida.

Must order items straight from the chef himself:
Japanese Wagyu — exceptional marbling, extraordinary flavor, melts in your mouth
Lobster Pot Pie — the signature dish, served tableside. Created by Chef Michael Mina after opening a friend's fridge and finding lobster instead of chicken. Finished with a lobster brandied cream. The aromas alone are worth the visit.

Find them at BourbonSteakDelray.com or on Instagram.

👨‍🍳 Meet Chef Pablo Valencia

Born in Colombia, raised on arepas, and trained in some of the most demanding kitchens in the world. His favorite food is the arepa he grew up eating for breakfast every morning. His second favorite is a great burger shared with his son.
As Executive Chef, Pablo manages everything from food cost to team culture to emergency service when the gas line goes down in the middle of a dinner rush. He handled it. He always does.

🧠 Ingredients for Success

Three takeaways from Pablo that apply far beyond the kitchen:

Emotional intelligence — You are managing customers, staff, and ownership all at once. Every day. You cannot lead with fear. You lead with understanding.

Skydiving — Pablo has jumped out of a plane over two hundred times. Every jump teaches the same lesson: prepare everything you can, make your decision fast, and then let go. The kitchen works the same way.

Empty plates — The real award is not a Michelin star. It is the empty plate that comes back to the dishwashing area. That means you made someone happy. That is the goal every single day.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
Visit floridalivinglife.com to send a message. Tell them what restaurants to visit next. Restaurant owners in the Palm Beach and Boca Raton area are invited to reach out for a visit and a review.

WAYS TO WORK WITH US
Brand sponsorships and content placement
Featured guest podcast interviews
Scenes From the Table live recordings
Food and lifestyle brand features
Virtual and on location options available

📞 Call or Text: 973-281-6896
📧 julie@julieriga.com
🍔 Restaurant Hashtags

#BourbonSteak #MinaGroup #ChefPabloValencia

📌 Episode Hashtags
#FloridaLivingLife #SouthFloridaEats #FloridaFood #FoodPodcast #PalmBeachCounty

Palm Beach Days, Alien Movies and the Sweetest Ice Cream Shop on Dixie Highway

Episode Summary

Julie and Jamie spend a full day on Palm Beach island, tour the Flagler Museum, eat at the RH Rooftop Restaurant, discover a brand new family run ice cream shop called Frost, and somehow squeeze in a sushi dinner, a burger run, and a conversation about aliens. Florida Living Life is fully living.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights

Sushi Joe – Boynton Beach
A popular spot in the West Palm Beach area. The dumplings were the standout. Julie liked it more than Jamie. The people were very nice. A solid visit with more menu items left to explore.

RH Rooftop Restaurant – Palm Beach
Part of the Restoration Hardware experience on Palm Beach island. A fourth visit with mixed feelings on the food this time. The grilled shrimp and vegetable salad with zucchini, asparagus, corn, and avocado was the highlight. The burger landed at a seven. The charcuterie board felt pared down compared to previous visits and did not deliver enough for the price. The ribeye sandwich is the must order and was skipped this time, a decision that was regretted. The French fries were exceptional. The atmosphere remains one of the best on the island. Go for the experience and order the ribeye sandwich.

Frost Ice Cream – Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach
The discovery of the week. A brand new family run ice cream shop open since December, located across the street from Joe's Market on Dixie Highway. The owner Elizabeth runs it with her family and the warmth shows throughout the whole space. Julie tasted ten flavors. Top picks: mint chocolate chip, strawberry, graham cracker, butterscotch, cookie dough, and the dairy free coconut. The coffee ice cream also gets strong praise. A beautiful little spot worth making a dedicated trip for dessert after dinner on Dixie Highway.

Muya – West Palm Beach
Back for another visit. Get the double, not the single. The fries are fantastic and compare well to Five Guys. The owner is a great guy and a podcast visit is in the works. A promising addition to the West Palm Beach burger scene.

🏛 Things to Do
Flagler Museum – Palm Beach Island
An absolute must if you have not been. The Gilded Age mansion feels like stepping into Bridgerton and a European castle all at once. Highlights include the drawing room, the billiards room, the master suite, the interconnected upstairs bedrooms, and a courtyard fountain modeled after the Boboli Gardens of the Medici family in Florence. Julie was the unofficial tour guide. Jamie was impressed. Go.

🎬 What They Are Watching
Disclosure Day — Emily Blunt is outstanding. Steven Spielberg delivers a gripping and thought provoking film that has Julie convinced she is watching history in the making. Highly recommended, especially if you enjoy a good rabbit hole.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
Visit floridalivinglife.com to send a message. Tell them where to eat next. Restaurant owners in the Palm Beach and Boca Raton area are invited to reach out for a visit and a review.

WAYS TO WORK WITH US
Brand sponsorships and content placement
Featured guest podcast interviews
Scenes From the Table live recordings
Food and lifestyle brand features
Virtual and on location options available

📞 Call or Text: 973-281-6896
📧 julie@julieriga.com

🍔 Restaurant Hashtags
#SushiJoe #RHRooftop #RestorationHardware #FrostIceCream #Muya

📌 Episode Hashtags
#FloridaLivingLife #SouthFloridaEats #FloridaFood #FoodPodcast #PalmBeachCounty