Inside This Issue

PEOPLE: TAYLOR MADE
While the Miami Dolphins and Hollywood wait to see what the reigning NFL Man of the Year will do after Dancing With the Stars, Jason Taylor is busy making a difference beyond sports stats and TV.

By Nicole Brochu

They walked in barely able to read on a fourth-grade level, high-school basketball players with worn-out sneakers and nowhere to go after school. Nine months later – after just a couple hours a day, four days a week – the boys’ spelling, vocabulary and reading skills jumped two and three grade levels. Their grades improved, their FCAT scores climbed.

And they discovered something more: a new swagger, healthier self-esteem and a celebrity role model who let them know they mattered.

That’s the power of the Jason Taylor Reading Room, tucked inside the Miramar Youth Enrichment Center. That’s the mark the Miami Dolphins’ All-Pro defensive end hopes to make on a world that gave him a shot in life. That is Jason Taylor’s definition of success: using your celebrity to help the less fortunate, giving back, knowing the satisfaction of seeing a group of Miramar High hoopsters stand a bit taller in their own skin – and in those new Nike sneaks, donated with an assist from Taylor’s buddy, Michael Jordan.

While the sports world speculates on how many years the Dolphins’ career sack leader has left on the football field, while Hollywood waits to see what the reigning NFL Man of the Year will do after Dancing With the Stars, while his fans debate how he’s been treated this off-season by a team whose jersey he’s worn his whole career, Jason Taylor is busy making a difference beyond sports stats and TV ratings.

The man with the soft spot for disadvantaged kids is building a legacy one child at a time. It’s called the Jason Taylor Foundation. And, as with everything else Taylor has accomplished, he’s not tackling it alone.

He has teamed up with his wife, and together, after just four years, Jason and Katina have built what many in the non-profit world call one of South Florida’s most effective charities.

It is an organization that very much reflects the pair at the helm.

Jason, who served as a missionary as a youth in Pittsburgh, and Katina, who crafted her own character-education program for kids and served as spokesperson for an anti-drug program during her reign as Miss Amarillo Area, made it their foundation’s mission to “support and create programs that facilitate the personal growth and empowerment of South Florida’s children in need by focusing on improved healthcare, education and quality of life.”

What does that mouthful mean exactly?

For a boy raised by a single mother with lots of love but little money, it means giving about 260 disadvantaged kids an experience he never had, of going to a three-day football camp where current and former football stars offer lessons on passing, running a route and accepting constructive criticism.

For the lanky kid with hand-me-down clothes who knew the lasting pain of being teased for pants that never fit, it means “Cool Gear for the School Year” – $300 Old Navy gift cards going to 50 or 60 impoverished kids.

For the 1997 third-round draft pick out of the University of Akron, forever grateful for the opportunity the Dolphins gave him, it means partnering with the Take Stock in Children charity group to dole out seven years of mentoring and college scholarships to deserving sixth-graders.

For the football star with a shine for Hollywood, it means “Big Screens – Big Dreams,” with Taylor escorting kids to private screenings of unreleased films like The Great Debaters, and bringing a few of the actors along to discuss the movie.

For the small-town Texas girl, the former model and TV reporter who excelled at cheerleading, gymnastics and formal dance training, it means “Camp Katina – Cartwheels to Character,” a three-day summer program dedicated to nurturing young girls.

For two parents who recognize the good fortune of having three healthy children, it’s the Jason Taylor Learning Center, so named after the $150,000 raised at the First Annual Jason Taylor Celebrity Golf Classic in 2004 went toward new computers, paint, wireless equipment and other upgrades at the Holtz Children’s Hospital recreational and educational center in Miami.

And for a couple who know the value of a good education, it means making the Jason Taylor Reading Room the heart and soul of the operation, a place where struggling students come for intensive instruction in reading, language arts, spelling, writing and vocabulary and weekly life-skills lessons on teen alcoholism, violence, respect for others, building self-esteem and etiquette.

It’s a widely varied enterprise, made possible with more than $2 million raised so far, thanks in part to partners like the Office Depot Foundation. Since partnering with the Taylors last year, the foundation has contributed more than $50,000, along with computers, backpacks and school supplies.

“The dollar amount to me isn’t really the issue,” says Mary Wong, president of the Office Depot Foundation. “More impressive is what they get done with it.”

Wong recalls a recent Taylor event where one boy told the audience how he was given a choice: gang life or the Jason Taylor Reading Room. He chose reading.

“I don’t even know if you can put a dollar amount on that,” Wong says.
And then there are the shouts of  “thank the Lord” that spill from the crowd when the Urban League of Greater Miami announces the names of the lucky kids selected to receive “Cool Gear for the School Year” gift cards. For the kids, it’s the joy not just in getting new clothes, but in no longer having to worry about what they look like, so they can focus on what’s really important: learning.

The Urban League’s Sharon Henley says kids work even harder now at pulling up their grades, just for the chance to be considered for the Cool Gear program. Aliah Young, one of last year’s winners, wrote Taylor of the difference it made to her: “Every year I got to wear uniforms but this year I will be normal like the popular kids, except I will shine like a diamond and be so fresh and clean.”

It’s a simple idea that goes a long way, and that’s the brilliance of the Taylors’ foundation. Those who work with the Taylors say it’s not only their compassion and ingenuity but also their authenticity that makes the couple philanthropic role models.

“These are two of the most genuine, focused individuals I have ever met,” Wong says.  “This is a foundation about kids, for kids and by kids. It’s not about Jason’s celebrity.”

The football star agrees on that point.

“I’m not doing this for legacy or to be remembered for something,” Taylor says. “I’m doing this for the kids. If I can make a difference for one kid, it’s all worthwhile.”

Linda Sweet, who runs the Reading Room, sees firsthand how hard both Taylors work to follow through on those words.

“Jason has a very good heart. He wants to see children do better and be the best they can be,” she says. “And Katina is always there, supporting him in everything he does.”

So as tough as this off-season has been for Taylor, as his football career begins to wind down, don’t worry about him. He’s already doing what he loves – he’s making a difference, and for the first time in a long time, he’s on a winning team.

AP photo of Taylor before a Dolphin game last year.

FINE DINING: HAUTE HOTEL CUSINE
Want a great restaurant? Always ask a local. And, lately, they may recommend where the visitors eat.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

When you think of hotels in South Florida, you probably think of tourists. Only recently have local hotels become fine-dining destinations for the rest of us, too – and even the most venerable old hotels are updating the cuisine.

Consider the Biltmore in Coral Gables. Built in the 1920s, it’s worth a visit just to see the grand lobby and the stunning swimming pool. But if you want a special dining experience, visit the Palm d’Or, the “pride and joy” of executive chef de cuisine Philippe Ruiz.

Here, New World French cuisine is offered a la carte or in three-, four- and five-course tasting menus. “It’s not your typically stuffy French restaurant,” says general manager Dennis Doucette.

Describing a recent $250,000 redo of the dining room he says, “It’s a little more contemporary departure from what you’d expect at this property.” Brazilian cherry-wood floors, light-colored leather chairs and a view of the pool greet you.

Another change, they spent $2 million creating Fontana, an Italian restaurant connected to the hotel’s courtyard where a fountain reminiscent of an Italian piazza is the centerpiece. Here, chef Mario Camio, recently of Il Gabbiano in Miami, serves Italian cuisine in a less formal atmosphere.

At another of the area’s oldest hotels, The Breakers in Palm Beach, you’ll find a duo of dining rooms. At L’Escalier, modern French cuisine is offered with refined elegance to just 32 guests at a time. Three- and five-course prix fixe menus feature table-side presentations as well as cheese and champagne carts. The tables are covered in floor-length linens and topped with Versace china, Christofle silver and Riedel crystal.

This is the perfect backdrop for enjoying rack of Colorado lamb en crépinette; olive-oil poached wild Alaskan halibut with cannellini beans, sunchokes, tarragon and 40-year-old sherry vinegar; or veal bacon-wrapped rib-eye of veal with Anson Mills’ polenta.

For a less formal evening, there’s Brasserie L’Escalier offering a relaxed yet stylish atmosphere for enjoying French classics. Think French onion soup, steak and pommes frites, coq au vin and duck a l’orange.

At the venerable Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, The Restaurant – overlooking the ocean – is done in a relaxing peach and beige palette with green drapes and Chinese murals. A pillow on your chair hugs your back and makes you feel pampered.

They use the best ingredients from around the world and then emphasize the natural flavors with light preparations, says Darryl Moiles, the hotel’s executive chef. That can translate to dishes such as Nantucket scallops with a cauliflower purée or caramelized Atlantic scallops with fresh fava and garbanzo beans in a shellfish-fennel nage.

Just down the street, The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, features The Angle. It is under the auspices of executive chef Ryan Artim who wants to make his food “flavorful, not heavy.” That means he uses reductions and natural flavors instead of butter or oil. For example, he might make Chilean sea bass with a soy-honey glaze or grilled octopus with a green-tomato sofrito.

Although the room is elegant – with gold sofa banquettes, candlelight and high-backed chairs – the dress code is business casual (no ties required). He’s proud of the onyx table in the middle of the dining room where you can eat with others. You can order a full meal here – or just appetizers before moving to your own table for dinner.

“It’s a good way to socialize,” he says.

At Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach’s Brazilian Court, the off-season finds them lightening up the menu. “But there’s always a touch of French,” says general manager Theresa Valiante. You’re sure to find the ever-popular braised short ribs that “fly out the door.” Or the chicken cobb salad. “Everyone loves it,” Valiante says.

In the dining room – with its warm amber, bronze, terra cotta and gold tones – it’s fine dining that’s not stuffy. “Regulars want to sit and chat. They like the energy,” she says.

Further south along Fort Lauderdale beach, stunning new hotels dominate the skyline. If you are looking for a special meal, visit Cero at the The St. Regis Resort Fort Lauderdale. Executive chef Toby Joseph focuses on local ingredients. Citrus and seafood play a central roll in dishes such as potato-crusted lemon-scented halibut with organic spinach and lobster sauce or kumamoto oysters with a Homestead farm grapefruit granite and red-onion confit. He changes his menu with the seasons.

“We are a luxury hotel but don’t want to be stuffy or offer a cookie cutter experience,” he says.

At 3030 Ocean in the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in Fort Lauderdale, chef/owner Dean Max says he never “sits still with the menu.” He can’t if he wants to keep bringing back the locals his restaurant attracts. “We try to give people what they are looking for, but we make it great,” Max says.

Enjoy dishes such as Maine mussels in lemon-grass ginger broth or black grouper in a corn and curry sauce. Then there’s his butter-braised Maine lobster with sweet wine sauce.

The windows of the dining room overlook the ocean. After dinner, take a walk on the private beach – it’s one of the few fine dining restaurants in Broward where you can get your feet wet after dinner.

Away from the beach, the Grill Room on Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale’s Riverside Hotel, resembling an old English officer’s club, has a reputation for being a fine steakhouse. While they still offer dry-aged prime beef, they are branching out to contemporary American fare – including fresh seafood. But don’t worry, the waiters still carve rack of lamb and chateaubriand table side and prepare Caesar salad while you watch.

The wine cellar also has been updated, according to H. Peter Schmidt, vice president of the Las Olas Co. and food and beverage director of the hotel, with a state-of-the art storage system for 4,000 bottles visible behind glass.

A relative newcomer to the dining scene, the hip China Grill at the Fort Lauderdale Grande, is presenting world cuisine with Asian flair. Tucked under the Intracoastal Waterway bridge on the 17 St. Causeway, there couldn’t be a prettier location for this trendy spot that offers portions of food designed to be shared.

“We want people to come, have good food and have a good time,” says executive chef Keyvan Behnam.

There are dishes such as lamb spare ribs marinated overnight, slow roasted for 3 1/2 hours then served stacked. “It looks like a log cabin,” Behnam says of this dish’s presentation. There’s also a 2 ½-pound Shanghai lobster, served with an Indian curry sauce and crispy spinach and rice noodles.

For dessert, don’t miss the towering bananas in a box. A candy-like tuille is shaped into a box by pastry chef Jesika Altuve and filled with caramelized bananas and caramel pastry cream. It looks impressive until the waiter destroys it at your table – giving you and two of your closest friends the signal to dig in.

Back at the Hollywood beach The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa offers steaks that are dry-aged for 21 days at Hollywood Prime. To be sure your steak is cooked to your liking, you are invited to cut into it immediately – before the food runner even leaves the table.

There’s also salmon, tuna and Maine lobster on the menu as well as traditional side dishes made fresh to order. They’re all served in large portions – in fact, it’s recommended you share them. Don’t miss the creamed spinach made from fresh spinach and plenty of garlic.

The opulent dining room with its towering ceiling has mahogany wine cabinets, dark shutters, a wall of rich curtains, Egyptian cotton table linens and Rosenthal china. It’s all very elegant, very classic.

And a lot like being on vacation, not far from home.

DINING DESTINATIONS
Broward
Cero The St. Regis Resort Fort Lauderdale, 1 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-302-6460.
China Grill Fort Lauderdale Grande, 1881 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, 954-759-9950.
Grill Room on Las Olas Riverside Hotel, 620 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, 954-467-2555.
Hollywood Prime The Westin Diplomat Resort & Spa, 3555 S. Ocean Drive, Hollywood, 954-602-6000.
3030 Ocean Marriott Harbor Beach Resort & Spa, 3030 Holiday Drive, Fort Lauderdale, 954-765-3030.

Miami-Dade
Palm d’Or and Fontana Biltmore, 1200 Anastasia Ave., Coral Gables, 305-445-1926.
Palm Beach
The Angle The Ritz-Carlton, Palm Beach, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, 561-540-4924.
Cafe Boulud Brazilian Court Hotel, 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach, 561-655-6060.
L’Escalier and Brasserie L’Escalier The Breakers Palm Beach, 1 S. Country Road, Palm Beach, 561-659-8480.
The Restaurant Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach, 561-533-3750.

Photo: At Cero in the St. Regis Resort Fort Lauderdale, executive chef Toby Joseph serves kumamoto oysters with a Homestead farm grapefruit granite and red-onion confit.

DESTINATIONS: TURKS AND CAICOS
The Turks & Caicos have no interest in mass tourism. And that’s the way pretty much everyone likes it.

By Robert Cross

“Ring the bell if you see JoJo the dolphin.” We saw that sign nailed up near Hemingway’s on the Beach. It’s a wonderful beach, the big one at Providenciales Island – 12 miles long, powdery sand, water clear as the vodka-on-the-rocks at the next table.

All during lunch, the little bell never rang. Our Hemingway’s waitress said she saw JoJo regularly, “sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon.” Every islander we met said something like that about JoJo, one of the most famous celebrities on and about this string of islands 575 miles southeast of South Florida.

Celebrity-sighting is one of the minor sports in the Turks & Caicos (kay-kus), because the rich and famous have made their presence known in and around such resorts as Parrot Cay. One day, we toured that vicinity by boat.

“There goes Bruce Willis!” shouted our captain and guide, Lucky Forbes, as he steered a small group of us toward Middle Caicos Island for a day of cave-exploring, swimming, beachcombing and snorkeling.

“Well, that’s his boat, anyway,” Forbes said, as the small white vessel sped out of sight.

We passed by the shallows of Parrot Cay. Forbes slowed our flat-bottomed craft and pointed out homes belonging to Willis, Oprah Winfrey, Donna Karan and Keith Richards. They were sand-colored and unobtrusive, as was the Parrot Cay Resort, another celebrity magnet.

Of course, we saw none of the People magazine crowd, and even if we had, they would have been mere dots on a vast expanse of sand, indistinguishable from the non-celebrity dots.

For the remainder of this story, please see City & Shore's August-September 2008 issue.

Photo: The minimalist luxury of Providenciales’ Amanyara resort: an infinity swimming pool blending perfectly with the ocean.