Eleven businesses in Downtown West Palm Beach have opened in the fiscal year of 2016 with seven others in production. This may seem like a lot, but it is actually right on schedule with Downtown West Palm Beach previous years.
The new businesses in Downtown West Palm Beach are:
· Amazing Feet
· Phenix Salon
· Got Ink
· Picnic Fashionista
· Fetch Palm Beach
· Johan’s Joe Cafe and Coffee Shop
· HotelPlanner.com
· Fitness Hub
· Dorian’s Red Hand
· Jardin
· Banko Cantina Nationally
Rising Florida Chefs
Chef David Valencia
David.a.valencia@hotmail.com or 561-594-5837
Chef David Valencia is credited with bringing the high-end fusion of Latin, French and Asian cuisine to the forefront of American palates. Born in Colombia, and a veteran of Alain Ducasse’s global empire, Valencia participated in the opening a series of New York City restaurants; Alain Ducasse's Adour* at St. Regis Hotel, Gabriel Kreuther's The Modern**, The Plaza’s Oak Room, EMM Group's Catch with Top Chef winner Hung Huynh, Pier 9 and other locations; Fuse in Texas, Daniel Stern’s R2L in Philadelphia, Catch in Miami and Meat Market in Palm Beach. He is now at Caviar Russe* in Miami at the Four Seasons Hotel. Chef Valencia is also working as a Consultant & Private Chef in Palm Beach County. Contact him for your chance to have Michelin quality meals for your next party or revamp your restaurant.
Chef Diego Oka
Diego Oka is a Japanese/Peruvian chef who has spent most of his career working along side chef Gaston Acurio. After working with his idol for about 4 months, he continued his career as the head chef at an Acurio restaurant in Peru at 21. Oka opened many restuaruants including Acurio and La Mar Cebicheria in San Fransisco, now he is opening La Mar at Mandarin Oriental.
Chef Niven Patel
Michael's Genuine Food & Drink's Niven Patel is leaving to open Islamorada's Cheeca Lodge and a vegetable-centric, Indian-leaning restaurant to open in Miami sometime in the future. The 32 year old spent some time in Brasserie, creating his own touches with seafood and produce from his own farm. The split is known to be cordial.
Sources: miami.eater.com, miaminewtimes.com
The Olympic Size Rio PR Disaster
There has been nothing but horrible reportings from Rio.
mosquito-borne Zika virus
unpaid policemen at the airport greeting visitors with a sign “Welcome to Hell”
overcrowded hospitals not taking patients
body parts in the water
drug dealers in favelas selling drugs with Olympic rings on the packaging
new bike paths falling apart and killing cyclists
incomplete subway lines
a fire forcing the Australian Olympic team robbed while evacuating
At some point, yes these all were true, but have been ridiculously repeated and exaggerated.
One writer traveled to Rio off of his own penny:
"E. M. Swift Cognoscenti contributor
E.M. Swift wrote for Sports Illustrated between 1978 and 2010, covering a wide range of sports but specializing in the Olympics. He is now a freelance writer."
Swift has nothing but good things to say about what is going on in Rio.
Swift writes, "It’s a shame. In four days I literally haven’t seen a mosquito, despite tempting fate with a three hour hike through a mountain jungle and dinner at an outdoor cafe."
He hasn't seen a mosquito, people are nice, he feels safe and the beaches are stunning. It is a shame. He writes how the tickets are very affordable, however some of the pricier tickets are still up for grabs, probably due to the bad media coverage/lack of PR, meaning the corporate big dogs are staying away, but the locals are supporting it.
I used to want to be one of the newscasters, to report the good that is going on in the world, however, even when something positive happens, the media tends to put on a negative twist. They are also told what to say, so for me to be a newscaster, I would need my own station.
Have you every counted on what the media is reporting? Make a tally on the positive and negative for one hour. I will give you a high five if you can get the positive column up to 5.
I understand negative things happen, every second of the day, but why does it need to be dwelled on and repeated 39,443,645,432 times.
What happened to focusing on the positive, and more positive things shall come?
I hope to one day have a station that reports the truth and the positive things going on in the world, sometimes you may just have to look a little harder, or see for yourself, as Swift has done with the Olympics in Rio. High five Swift.
See his full article here: http://www.wbur.org/cognoscenti/2016/08/02/rio-olympics-bad-press-2016-e-m-swift