Florida Living LIfe

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

Tattoos, Palm Beach and the Best Chicken Sandwich in South Florida

Episode Summary

This week Julie and Jamie hit the Tattoo and Oddity Convention in West Palm Beach, stroll through the most expensive street in Florida on Palm Beach island, and discover that the Honor Bar might just be home to the best chicken sandwich Julie has had since moving to Florida. Oh, and Jamie got a tattoo. Julie found out live on air. That happened.

The food keeps coming, the reviews keep rolling, and Florida Living Life is still very much in the building.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights

Honor Bar – Palm Beach Island
The standout of the week and possibly the most pleasant surprise yet. Part of the Hillstone restaurant group, the same family as Houston's. The atmosphere hits immediately. The chicken sandwich earns an eight and a half, the best Julie has had in two and a half years of Florida living. Jamie had the burger with shoestring fries. The coleslaw on the burger was a highlight. A beautiful little spot on the island worth every visit.

Arby's – Florida
Jamie tried the new Arby's cheesesteak and gave it an eight. He puts it right alongside Pat's in Philadelphia. A bold call. A real one.

Bolet – Florida
A healthier option that delivered. The chicken thighs are the move. Julie held up the line ordering six of them and has zero regrets. A solid bowl friendly option for anyone watching their diet.

Il Fiore – Boca Raton
A slice of pizza on a casual outing. Verdict: good but not great. Rated a seven point four. A possible return visit is undecided.

Mario the Baker – Lake Worth, Florida
On the dinner plan for the week ahead. The Lake Worth location earns special praise as a great restaurant worth revisiting. Always a reliable choice.

Houston's – Boca Raton
Referenced as part of the Honor Bar connection through the Hillstone restaurant group. A previous favorite that keeps coming up in conversation as a benchmark for quality dining.

🛍 Worth Avenue, Palm Beach
A walk through one of the most expensive shopping streets in the United States. Highlights included a stop at the Tom Ford store, the Cartier store, and a browse through stores where a single shirt can run $2,400 and a bracelet can reach $80,000. A one of a kind experience that feels more like a museum than a shopping trip.

🛒 Local Vendor Spotlight

Joyce Gourmet
Met at the Tattoo and Oddity Convention. A standout garlic spread made with canola oil, garlic, lemon juice, and salt. Also a tomato basil marinara sauce that impressed on first taste. Find them online at Joyce Gourmet.

🎉 Father's Day
Both Julie and Jamie have lost their fathers. This week they honored them with a home brunch. The potatoes were good. The gluten free pancakes were unmemorable by Julie's own admission. The eggs were fine. It was the thought that counted.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
Visit floridalivinglife.com to send a message. Tell them what restaurants to visit next. If you own a restaurant in the Palm Beach or Boca Raton area and want a visit and a review, reach out now.

🎧 Also Check Out
Stay On Course Podcast — Every guest shares their favorite food and three ingredients for success.
Visit stayoncourse.studio or stayoncourse.io

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
#HonorBar #Houstons #Arbys #Bolet #IlFiore #MarioTheBaker

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

Eight Weeks of Eating, KRS-One Stories and a Time Machine Back to New Jersey

Episode Summary

This week is all about food, food, food. Julie and Jamie recap eight straight weeks of eating out, take a trip down memory lane to their New Jersey roots, drop a wild KRS-One story, and reveal a top three Florida steakhouse showdown. Plus, concerts, movie reviews, and an upcoming weekend packed with the Tattoo and Oddity Expo and a Hillary Duff concert on Father's Day.
The podcast keeps climbing the charts, now ranked number seven out of 250 in Canada and inside the top 20 in the US.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights
Dave's Hot Chicken
Jamie is a fan, Julie is not. The Dave sauce gets a special mention. Jamie says unless something changes, hot chicken is just not for Julie.

Papa Chulos – Royal Palm Beach (Takeout)
Good but not great as takeout. The cheeseburger taco and lettuce wrap version got a little mangled in transit. Verdict: this is a dine in restaurant. Takeout does not do it justice.

Mario the Baker – Florida
Take home pizza night delivers again. Jamie got a gluten free pepperoni pizza with pineapple. Julie got a regular pizza with meatballs. Both were excellent and froze well for leftovers. Always solid.

McDonald's
Jamie had not eaten McDonald's in about a year and went all in with a Big Mac, extra Mac sauce, no bun, plus a six piece nugget and fries. Julie tried the Big Mac too and was pleasantly surprised. Verdict: good, but not as good as it was back in the day.

Seasons 52 – Boca Raton
A longtime favorite from their New Jersey days, now a regular Boca stop. The cedar plank salmon is excellent. The gluten free flatbreads are outstanding and safe for celiac diners. Great service, great atmosphere, and never disappoints. A solid choice for any special occasion.

Applebee's
A great experience with their server Merlin, who also happens to know Rosie. Burgers were a hit. Julie does the lettuce wrap version. A definite repeat visit.

Texas Roadhouse
First visit in months. Compared directly to Longhorn and Outback as the same class of steakhouse. Verdict: not as good as the top two, but not bad either. A three way steakhouse showdown is officially proposed between Texas Roadhouse, Outback, and Longhorn.

Outback Steakhouse – Florida
Still a top pick in the steakhouse rivalry. Consistently on point with every visit.
🗽 Throwback Corner: New Jersey Classics
A trip down memory lane to Morris County, New Jersey, thirty plus years ago.

The Italian Touch – Livingston Mall, Livingston, NJ
A beloved pizza spot from back in the day. Great pizza, great memories.

The Godfather – New Jersey
Another early favorite mentioned as part of the old school New Jersey pizza lineup.

🎵 Concert Corner
The Nova Twins opened for Evanescence with Spirit Box also on the bill. A massive stage setup and an unforgettable show. The first metal show of the year.

Coming up: the Tattoo and Oddity Expo in West Palm Beach this Saturday, and a Hillary Duff concert at the iTHINK Amphitheater on Father's Day.

📺 What They Are Watching
Office Romance on Netflix gets a strong recommendation for date night. Michael, the Michael Jackson biopic, earned a solid six point five out of ten.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
Visit floridalivinglife.com and send an email. Tell them what you like about the show, where they should eat next, and if you are a restaurant owner who wants a visit and a review, reach out.

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
#DavesHotChicken #PapaChulos #MarioTheBaker #McDonalds #Seasons52 #Applebees #TexasRoadhouse #OutbackSteakhouse

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

Concerts, Cheesesteaks and the Best Restaurants on Dixie Highway

Episode Summary
Julie and Jamie are back with two weeks of stories packed into one episode. Two concerts at the Hard Rock. Two visits to the same Asian restaurant. A breakfast cafe discovery in Parkland. A cheesesteak run to the Wellington Mall. And a definitive ranking of the best restaurants in West Palm Beach.

Plus, Rosie ordered the prime rib at the Outback and sent it back twice. It was a scene.

🍽 Restaurant Highlights

Bowl Asian Cuisine – Hard Rock Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek The surprise winner of the last two weeks. Julie and Jamie ended up here twice after back to back concerts. The orange chicken is outstanding. The beef chow fun is rich and satisfying. The egg rolls and duck sauce are not to be missed. Jamie does not even like Asian food and came back for seconds. That says it all.

Hard Rock Cafe – Seminole Casino, Coconut Creek Not what it used to be. The nachos and burgers were legendary years ago. The quality is not there anymore. A second chance may come, but the food needs work.

Kiki's Breakfast Cafe – Parkland, Florida A hidden gem found on the way home. A luncheonette style cafe that closes around two or three in the afternoon. The cheesesteak omelet was outstanding. The coffee was delicious. There was a wait but it was absolutely worth it. A must visit for breakfast lovers in Broward County.

Charlie's Cheesesteak – Wellington Mall, Wellington, Florida A regular stop and always fresh. The chicken cheesesteak is the standout. Great staff, great product, great experience every single time. Julie orders hers over lettuce and tomato without the bread.

Grotto – Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach Jamie's pick for the best restaurant in West Palm Beach and possibly all of Broward County. The shrimp with gluten free pasta is one of the best meals Julie has had since moving to Florida. If you order the right thing, Grotto delivers every time. Ranked number one.

Blue Door – West Palm Beach Still earning its place near the top. The butter chicken remains a favorite. Ranked number two.

The Hive – West Palm Beach Ranked number three on the West Palm Beach list. On the must visit radar.

Cafe Med – West Palm Beach A solid addition to the Dixie Highway rotation. Ranked number four.

Joy Sushi / Joy Asian – Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach A potential number five on the West Palm Beach list. A return visit is being planned. Watch this space.

Outback Steakhouse – Royal Palm Beach Rosie ordered the prime rib. It went back to the kitchen twice. The consistency is not what it used to be, at least for that cut. A familiar favorite that had a tough night.

China Buffet – 441, Royal Palm Beach A casual outing with Rosie. Part of the weekly dinner rotation with mom.

🎵 Concert Corner
Weird Al Yankovic – Hard Rock Live, Seminole Casino Legendary. The costume changes, the energy, the full production. A great night.

Charlie Puth – Hard Rock Live, Seminole Casino Julie is calling it. Charlie Puth live is one of the best concert experiences she has ever had. A modern day Daryl Hall. Old soul, incredible riffs, stunning band, playing piano the whole time. If you get the chance to see him, go.

📣 We Want to Hear From You
Know someone who would make a great guest? Reach out at floridalivinglife.com. Julie wants to get the Palm Beach crowd on the mic and find out where they are really eating.

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

#BowlAsianCuisine #HardRockCafe #KikisBreakfastCafe #CharliesCheesesteak #Grotto #BlueDoor #TheHive #CafeMed #JoySushi #OutbackSteakhouse

📌 Episode Hashtags

#FloridaLivingLife #SouthFloridaEats #FloridaFood #FoodPodcast #PalmBeachCounty