Max’s Social House A Welcome Addition

Max's Social House expands Delray's smart culinary scene.

Max’s Social House expands Delray’s smart culinary scene.

Dennis Max is a visionary restauranteur.

He has the ability to see trends and envision design elements that make restaurants special places.

Max’s Grille in Mizner Park has been a long time favorite, luring patrons to Mizner Park since the center opened and Max’s Harvest in Pineapple Grove is a hot spot.

Last weekend, we had a chance to sample Max’s Social House, the latest addition to the Max Restaurant Group line-up.

Housed in the former Ceviche and Falcon House building on U.S. 1, Max’s Social House is a welcome and unique addition to the city’s burgeoning culinary scene.

Smartly designed and cleverly conceived, Max’s Social House is designed to be a place where locals and visitors mingle, share, talk and enjoy familiar food prepared in a unique way.

So yes, you’ll find staples such as Mac & Cheese, short ribs and potato chips, but they’ll be prepared in a way you might not be familiar with, but you’ll be delighted nonetheless.

We had a chance to visit on a “Friends and Family” night ahead of this week’s soft opening courtesy of manager John Brewer, a local who will be familiar to Delray diners from his long time involvement in local restaurants, including Ceviche.

John and his friendly staff are engaging, knowledgeable and attentive and add to the “social” atmosphere of the restaurant.

We ran into Mr. Max himself and per usual, he was gracious to share his vision for Max’s Social House with us while explaining his goal of creating a warm and local friendly atmosphere.

We had the braised short ribs, which were fabulous, the burrata, an outstanding “rocket” salad and warm potato chips with a unique dip that was simply to die for.

We also sampled from the restaurant’s strong wine menu which includes Numanthia, a fabulous red wine that hails from the Toro region of Spain. We enjoyed a hoppy IPA from the local Saltwater Brewery which was excellent.

Delray’s restaurant scene is taking on new and interesting shapes. With restrictive parking codes enacted on Atlantic Avenue, new restaurants on the main strip are unlikely but the city’s nooks and crannies are beginning to fill up with interesting spots. Max’s Social House is the latest to lead in this new direction, it’s a welcome one.

Food culture is here to stay and Delray is a leader of this trend, which creates jobs, lures visitors and builds community.

The next step would be to grow and nurture local food purveyors and brands–many are being incubated in the CRA’s fabulous Green Market.

Am I believer? You betcha..I’m a partner and CEO of a Boca based hot sauce company Tabanero, an all natural sauce that is available in 1,500 restaurants in Florida and California and 155 HEB markets in Texas. We also have a Bloody Mary Mix and our chefs are busy cooking line extensions. We are inspired by the culinary scene in Boca and Delray and so are many, many others.

 

 

 

Five Efforts to Watch in Boca-Delray

Dennis Max's newest creation: One of five things to watch

Dennis Max’s newest creation: One of five things to watch

One thing we can comfortably say about Boca Raton and Delray Beach: it’s never boring.

Here are five efforts to keep a close eye on. All are interesting and all have the potential to be very influential developments for Boca-Delray

Med U Tech

Med U Tech stands for—medicine, universities and technology– the three pillars that built modern day Boca Raton. Med U Tech is a platform to build and strengthen Boca’s brand by leveraging existing assets and encouraging collaboration between hospitals, universities and tech companies. Each year, the Boca Resort & Club hosts a major Med U Tech conference that attracts movers and shakers from companies large and small. The most recent collaborations are highlighted in a special section of the South Florida Business Journal that is distributed in several other markets—the better to spread Boca’s brand as an innovative and entrepreneurial community. Visit www.medutech.org  to get involved.

StartUp Delray

StartUp Delray—a brand new effort launched by Delray’s Irene Revelas,  StartUp Delray is an effort to spotlight entrepreneurs in Delray by hosting events, meet ups, demo’s and other activities to nurture the fledgling entrepreneurial community that is quickly taking shape in Delray Beach. From “maker” events to fun “pitch” sessions StartUp Delray is a virtual organization that exists to partner and collaborate with the vibrant entrepreneurial scene taking root in South Florida. Follow @startupDelray on twitter.

Max’s Fresh

Max’s Fresh—Veteran Boca and Delray restaurateur Dennis Max’s newest concept is still in the planning stages, but if we know Dennis it will be special and transformative. Rumor has it that Dennis and the Max Group are planning to scale this concept into a possible national chain or franchise. Fresh food fast and healthy—coming soon and hatched right here in Boca.  Stay tuned.

Dare to Be Great

Dare to Be Great—This Delray Beach non-profit foundation www.dare2begreat.org identifies, mentors and supports via scholarships students that dare to make a difference and have the potential to dramatically improve Delray Beach. To date, about 15 scholars are attending college with the support of the foundation. Their promise: to come home and do great things in Delray Beach.

Delray CRA properties

For years, the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency has patiently acquired key parcels in downtown Delray Beach that are now being marketed to developers. The goal: redevelop the land, stimulate the economy, create jobs and take Delray Beach to the next level.

Among the key parcels that are soon to be awarded: the old library piece on U.S. 1 just south of Atlantic Avenue and several pieces of land that have been assembled on West Atlantic Avenue, just east of I-95.

Rumored to be in the mix: retail, office, entertainment and hotel uses.

For more information visit www.delraycra.org