James Muir opened Nicholson Muir Meats this year in a historic home on Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach. BELOW RIGHT: The butcher shop also has a small restaurant and sitting area. Photos provided
By Christine Davis
Passers-by will notice the old Ruth Jones Cottage at 480 E. Ocean Ave. in Boynton Beach has a new occupant — one that is already drawing meat lovers from all around.
The new tenant is Nicholson Muir Meats, a gourmet butcher shop with a small restaurant that has been open since the end of February. The meat market specializes in wagyu beef from ranches in Australia, Japan and the United States, says business owner James Muir.
The historic Jones cottage, moved to the Ocean Avenue site 11 years ago, was occupied by the Little House Restaurant and later Chez Andrea Gourmet Provence, which opened during the pandemic and closed in January 2021.
Muir, who was born in Argentina and moved to the United States when he was 10, studied at the French Culinary Institute, worked at Ian Shrager Hotels and later with chef Rocco DiSpirito in New York.
Before moving to Boynton Beach three years ago, Muir owned his own catering company and restaurant on Long Island. The restaurant, Artaux, received an “excellent” review in 2015 from The New York Times. Although the dining spot has since closed, the catering company remains in business.
Muir and his wife, Jennifer, a dentist, have one son, Bruce, 6.
Nicholson Muir Meats concentrates on high-end products and a wide variety of retail items to accompany the steaks — prepared foods, salads, grab-and-go spices, and wine.
“We cut meats to the customers’ preference and tell them how to cook it,” Muir said. “We even have links to different videos that show you how to cook the steaks.”
The restaurant is small, with seating for 12 at a table and six more at the bar.
It has options for vegetarians, including quiches, empanadas and salads. Catering service is also available.
Reservations aren’t essential but “are always a good idea,” Muir says. “We try to make it more like a restaurant, but, honestly, we don’t want to be a restaurant. We’re a butcher that cooks for you.”
How does Nicholson Muir Meats differ from its neighbor, the Butcher and the Bar at 510 E. Ocean Ave.?
“They do all Florida cattle and we do everything except Florida,” Muir explains. “They are more a restaurant and bar, and we are more of a butcher shop where if you want to sit down, we’ll cook for you. Service is very informal.
“We do have beer and wine but we have a less formal atmosphere and we’re not open for dinner. We do Saturday tasting menus twice a month, which you need to reserve ahead of time. We focus mainly on the butcher and meats.”
Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday; closed on Monday.
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More than 100 restaurants throughout 39 municipalities from Boca Raton to Jupiter are participating in The Palm Beaches Restaurant Month, Aug. 1-31. That’s good news for tourists and local foodies who can cash in on great deals, prix fixe menus, and specialty drinks and dishes all month long.
Restaurant Month, organized through Discover the Palm Beaches, encourages folks to get out, support and sample an array of eateries that make up the local culinary culture.
“We have neighborhood favorites and local mainstays participating as well as highly regarded restaurants with celebrity chefs and exciting new hot spots,” Jorge Pesquera, CEO of Discover the Palm Beaches, said in a news release. “We’re continuing to secure new restaurants throughout the destination and look forward to offering more options than ever before in August.”
Go to PalmBeachesDining.com to browse participating restaurants and menus, and filter by the type of cuisine.
Tickets aren’t necessary, but reservations are encouraged. The website will incorporate the Open Table site to make reservations easily accessible.
Other foodie-specific events around Palm Beach County include Bon Appetit Boca in July (www.bocarestaurantmonth.com), and in September, Flavor Palm Beach (www.flavorpb.com) and Downtown Delray Beach Restaurant Month (downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantmonth).
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John Kelly, the seventh person to serve as Florida Atlantic University’s president, will step down at the end of this year.He will remain with FAU, serving as the university’s president emeritus and focusing on its research capabilities.
The transition was announced on June 20 by Brad Levine, chair of the FAU Board of Trustees, in an open letter to the FAU community.
An interim president will be appointed to serve while a national search is conducted to replace Kelly, Levine said.
Kelly joined FAU as president in 2014 from Clemson University, where he had served in several administrative positions.
“My decision to step aside as Florida Atlantic University president comes at a time that I believe is not only right for me personally, but also for the university,” Kelly said in a statement. “My new role as university president emeritus will afford me the time and flexibility to complete certain projects that are important to me personally, and are important to the Board of Trustees.”
Levine praised Kelly’s accomplishments, including conceiving of the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence and improving FAU’s ranking in the state university system.
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FAU’s Daniel Flynn, Ph.D., won a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in May for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Flynn, a university vice president, steers all research-related endeavors at FAU’s six regional campuses and is a catalyst for emerging programs that support local entre-preneurship and economic development.
The award was given by the State Department and Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
The Fulbright is the government’s leading educational and cultural affairs program and offers renowned students and accomplished professors support to pursue research and professional projects in partnership with more than 160 countries.
Flynn, who has a doctorate in microbiology, spent more than 20 years in various research-related roles in the fields of cancer cell biology and breast cancer invasion before transitioning into research administration in 2008 and coming to work for FAU in 2015.
As part of the program, Flynn will take part in a two-week group seminar in France to acquaint higher education administrators from America with France’s education and research systems.
“The power of impactful research comes to fruition when discoveries are translated into improved efforts — whether it be innovations in technology, drugs, policy, etc. — that ultimately improve our lives and those lives around us,” Flynn said in a news release.
After the seminar, Flynn says he plans to introduce learned best practices to researchers at FAU, establishing a platform for collaborations with FAU and French scientists.
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Lauren B. Trotta, Ph.D., has joined the Institute for Regional Conservation in Delray Beach as a biodiversity conservation fellow, thanks to support from the National Parks Conservation Association.
Trotta will help with the effort to conduct a 20-year review of IRC’s Rare Plants of South Florida, a book published in 2002. The publication came after an intensive seven years of work by IRC and collaborators and documented the status of the rarest 25% of South Florida’s native plants, including more than 100 that may have been extinct in the region. The book’s release was followed by land manager workshops and a surge of plant survey and study work by IRC and others.
A Connecticut native, Trotta has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Providence College in Rhode Island, and a master’s and doctorate in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida.
Previously, Trotta’s research experience focused on understanding the drivers of floristic diversity in Miami-Dade’s urban pine rock land habitat fragments.
Melissa Abdo, director of the Sun Coast regional office of the National Parks Conservation Association, applauded IRC’s long-term efforts to study and share regional biodiversity information and to connect communities in South Florida to their natural heritage.
South Florida is unique in that its ecosystem is anchored by large national preserve and park sites — Big Cypress, the Everglades, and Biscayne — as well as a mosaic of other protected lands and waters such as national wildlife refuges, state and local parks, and even backyard habitats.
“Bringing a lens of science to understanding how rare plant diversity is conserved across these parks of South Florida will bring such value to our community,” Abdo said in a news release.
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Two major awards were presented at the annual meeting of the Boca Raton Historical Society on May 18 at the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum.
The Myrtle Butts Fleming Award, named after one of the Historical Society founders, was given to volunteer Barbara Montgomery O’Connell by Executive Director Mary Csar.
The new Dave Ashe Award, named after another founding member, was given posthumously to Linda Prowe Jackson. She moved to Boca Raton in 1957 and later served as the museum’s ambassador to Boca High School alumni and other longtime residents, urging them to contribute to the Historical Society’s vast array of Boca collectibles as Ashe did before he died in 2015 at age 90.
“Linda believed in her city and the importance of history as a guide for the present and future generations,” Historical Society curator Susan Gillis said in a news release. “We lost her last year at much too young an age, but we are pleased to honor her memory by naming her the first recipient of this award and we’re so pleased that it was accepted by her grandson Connor Jackson.”
The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum is the home of the Boca Raton Historical Society, whose mission is to collect, preserve and present information and artifacts relevant to the past and evolving history of Boca Raton. It also aims to maintain a visible role in education and advocacy of historic preservation in the community.
Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., the museum is in historic Town Hall at 71 N. Federal Highway. For more information, call 561-395-6766 or visit www.BocaHistory.org.
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Stacee Lanz, special events coordinator for the city of Boca Raton, was recently named “Most Valuable Events Person” by the Greater Miami Festivals and Events Association at its ninth annual conference and exhibition.
“This designation by an organization of my peers is a tremendous honor,” said Lanz, who joined the city in 2003 as special events coordinator.
“We are very proud of Stacee, whose talent and dedication make her an integral part of our team,” Amy DiNorscio, amphitheater and community events manager for the city, said in a statement.
Lanz, along with three others, was nominated by the festivals and events group and won via a popular vote that took place online.
“We applaud Stacee for her accomplishments and commitment to excellence in event planning,” said Amanda MacMaster, executive director of the association.
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Melissa Perlman, president of the Gold Coast PR Council — South Florida’s largest independent association of public relations, communications and marketing professionals — announced this year’s Bernays Award nominees. The awards, given since 2005, honor excellence in local public relations campaigns, marketing programs and media coverage.
The honors will be presented at the council’s 17th annual Bernays Awards luncheon on July 21 at the Delray Beach Golf Club. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/bernays-awards-2022-presented-by-gold-coast-pr-council-tickets-355212759927.
T.A. Walker, the Taste & See reporter at WPTV News 5, will emcee the luncheon. Honors will be presented in 10 competitive categories along with four special awards selected by the nonprofit organization’s board of directors.
Only one award winner is announced in advance, the prestigious Presidents Award, which is given to a person or organization for truly outstanding performance. This year’s recipient is Rick Christie, executive editor of The Palm Beach Post, for keeping the daily newspaper running and relevant, breaking major news during a time when the viability of print journalism is under attack, both politically and financially.
In addition to the Presidents Award, three other board-selected awards will be given: PR Star, which goes to a person or organization that made an extraordinary difference last year; the Founders Award, which goes to a person or organization that has made a lasting contribution to Gold Coast PR; and a new award that will be revealed at the luncheon.
For more information about the Gold Coast PR Council, visit www.goldcoastprcouncil.com.
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James Shaw, chairman of the ACLU of Florida’s legal panel, will talk about the state of civil rights in Florida and changes in the law from this year’s legislative session during a Zoom discussion on July 15. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, the Hot Topic discussion begins at noon and is open to all concerned citizens.
To register, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register WN_PQJV197mSSWqCAMg49SLQA.
Steve Plunkett, Mary Thurwachter and Mary Hladky contributed to this column.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
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