Tag: loggers’ run

Poker Faces: Arrests in Loggers Run and Mission Bay

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It must be crime week in West Boca. Let’s hope the big stories only come in threes because this is the third.
Thanks to yet another helpful reader, we learned that there was substantial police activity in the Cimarron neighborhood on the east side of Ponderosa Drive between Palmetto Park and Glades Road. The reader specifically referenced Chipmunk Drive, and we found two arrests from that street that fit the timing.
In the above mugshots, the two on the left and middle are Devon Shalmi (30) and Thomas Cuce (32), reported at the same address on Chipmunk Drive. That property appears to have been foreclosed in the last few years and acquired by a local investor under an LLC, so it appears these two men are renting the place out.
The third gentleman on the right, Joseph P. Petrolino (47), has a reported address not far away in Mission Bay.
All three were arrested on the “charge” of “Out-of-County Warrant.” This normally means there’s some kind of criminal case pending against them in another county. We searched Broward and Miami-Dade along with the FDLE warrant database and our local federal court, but didn’t find anything. As we were finishing up the article we heard from PBSO:

The three individuals you are inquiring about are being investigated by the Broward Sheriff’s Office. PBSO just executed a warrant that is signed by a Judge. We have no information regarding BSO’s case.

One thing notable about the three arrests is the very high bond amounts that were set. Petrolino’s bond is set at $135K, Cuce’s at $125K and Shalmi’s at a whopping $305K.
So far we haven’t found much more information. All three appear to be poker players in events at area casinos (including in Broward) so that’s a possible hint, but then again it could be completely unrelated.
We will contact BSO and update the story if and when we find out more.
Of course, all arrestees are innocent until proven guilty.

Nikuya in Loggers' Run: Restaurant Review

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After Marcus Kosher Chinese closed, it didn’t take long for Nikuya to open in its place. Billing itself as a Thai and Sushi bistro, they actually have a deeper Japanese menu that attracted us. It’s located in the Shoppes at Loggers’ Run, on the north side of Palmetto Park Road about a mile and a half west of 441:

It’s not cheap, and that’s a good thing. Nor is it terribly expensive. Entrees are mostly between $12 and $17. We didn’t get there sooner because we mostly do our reviews at lunch time and they’re don’t open until 4 pm. We hear they may add lunch service soon. The interior is clean and fresh. There’s room for maybe 30 people at the tables and another 8 or so at the sushi bar. Due to the layout it might be difficult to seat a larger party and we recommend calling first if that’s your plan.
We started with one of our favorite Japanese appetizers, Gyoza. These are dumplings that can be served either steamed (which we prefer) or fried. At $7 it might seem pricey but it came with six pieces and they were excellent.
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Please note that better versions of most of the photos in this article can be seen by clicking on them.
Next up was something we didn’t order. Maybe it’s normal or maybe it’s because they noticed the camera, but the waitress brought us out a tuna and avocado appetizer as a courtesy from the chef. Both the tuna and the avocado were noticeably higher quality than another West Boca Japanese place we visited on Christmas Day. The tuna was lightly marinated in a delicate sauce that was perfect for the dish.
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We also decided to try a roll that seems popular in South Florida – The JB Roll, with salmon and cream cheese. And maybe we got a little carried away with the camera:
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At $8, again it’s not the lowest cost sushi around. But it was a long roll with a lot of pieces and we liked it. Perhaps the only downside of the meal was that the pickled ginger didn’t seem quite right. Maybe it’s just a different flavor but it’s not what this author expected.
One of the kids with us ordered the chicken fried rice, which is a fairly standard dish in Japan – Yakimeshi (炒飯). It’s similar to fried rice in a Chinese restaurant but typically uses a higher grade of rice which seemed to be the case here. It also had a rich comfort-food smell and taste.
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The highlight of the meal for this author was something one rarely sees in South Florida – a good bowl of ramen. Americans tend to think of ramen in terms of the cheap instant cup-noodle dishes we see in stores. Ramen is a staple meal in Japan and excellent when done well. For a funny view of that see the Jyuzo Itami movie Tampopo (though not for kids).
At Nikuya they have both Chashu Pork Ramen ($14) and Miso Butter Pork Ramen ($16). I tried the latter and it was the best bowl of ramen I’ve had in a long time.
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Sixteen bucks is a lot for a bowl of soup, but this is a very filling entree size and they nailed it in all ways including smell, flavor, consistency, and presentation. They even had the Japanese spice Togarashi when I asked for it.
The other adult at the table had the Cashew Nut Chicken from the Thai menu. It was colorful and enjoyable, another example of a restaurant doing a great job in how they plate the food and present it to the customer.
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We got a little carried away and ordered two desserts, the Tortino Chocolate Lava and the Fried Banana.
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As with everything else these were presented well. The chocolate lava cake was delicious. The fried banana was pretty and tasted pretty good, but we probably would not order that again. Also the ice cream didn’t seem to be top grade, but went well with the desserts. Next time we hope to try the Cheesecake Roll and maybe the Thai Donut.
We will go back again soon and try more of the Thai menu. There seem to be fewer curry choices than we usually see at Thai restaurants, with both Green Curry and Panang Curry notably absent.
For lower cost Japanese food we’ll keep going to Jidai Kaiten Sushi on Powerline Road in Boca Grove, especially with their ongoing lunch deal.

Recent Home Sales in 33428

33428mapHomes in the 33428 zip code are west of Lyons Road,  south of Glades Road and North of Loxahatchee Road. Neighborhoods in this zip code include Boca Woods Country Club, Mission Bay, Boca Falls, Boca Winds, Loggers’ Run, Avalon, Vineyards, Boca Lago Country Club, and Boca Dunes Golf & Country Club. Students go to Loggers Run Middle School or Eagles Landing Middle School and West Boca Community High School or Olympic Heights Community High.
The following homes sold in October and November 2014:
21732marigotThis ranch home at 21732 Marigot Dr sold for $652,000. Located in the gated community of Boca Falls, it has 4 bedrooms plus a den and 3.5 bathrooms. There are porcelain floors throughout and the kitchen has dark wood cabinets with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. There is an screened in porch and in ground pool as well.

11902waterwood11902 Waterwood Dr, located off N. Ponderosa Drive, sold for $515,000. Built in 1992, it has 5 bedrooms and 4.5 bathrooms in 4569 sq. feet of living space. This 2 story home has a pool and was renovated sometime after 2000. Per a source it may have been done in 2005.

10156breezewayThis contemporary home at 10156 Breezeway Place sold for $312,500. Located in the gated Meadow Lakes community, it has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms in 2169 sq. feet. Built in 1995, it has a lake view and is located on a cul-de-sac.

22720wildnernessThis stunning home at 22720 Wilderness Way sold for $827,500. Located in the Ponderosa subdivision of Loggers Run, it has custom features throughout including beautiful tile, wood floors, a fireplace and wide doors open to the patio and pool area. The kitchen has granite counters, a center cook top island, double oven and stainless steel appliances. The home sits on 1.03 acres and was built in 1980 for $177,000.

22330kettleThis ranch at 22330 Kettle Creek Way sold for $360,018. Built in 1992, it has 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. The home was built in 1992 and has 2249 sq. feet of living space. The kitchen is upgraded with granite counter tops and there is a pool in the backyard. It is located in the Boca Winds community and was sold in 1999 for $204,000.

21452woodchuckThis 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom home at 21452 Woodchuck Ln sold for $319,000. Built in 1979, the kitchen has been upgraded to include new cabinets, granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The screened in patio and pool area has views of the canal. Located in the Cimarron subdivision, it was originally purchased for $125,000.

 
 

West Boca Bulls Lose to Atlantic: Video and Analysis

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The West Boca High School football team, the Bulls, had a disappointing loss Friday night to the Atlantic High Eagles. It had been a strong season for the Bulls up to this point, but the Eagles came in and held the Bulls scoreless while putting up 13 points of their own.
The game started with a good performance from the Vanguard marching band and the team looked good at the beginning.

The game started on a sour note for the Bulls as they lost a fumble on the first play from scrimmage. Perhaps that was foreshadowing. Despite that they held the Eagles to a 3 and out on their first drive and then the Bulls moved the ball well at first.
Here’s an example, a pass play where they got about 7 yards.

That drive stalled at the Atlantic 40 yard line. For the rest of the first quarter both offenses struggled and the score was tied at 0-0.
In the second quarter Atlantic made some big plays and scored a field goal and then a touchdown. West Boca’s offense struggled for the rest of the game. We kept hearing Jerrod Ferguson’s name and he made a big interception in toward the end of the 2nd quarter, but the Bulls offense was unable to convert that into points.
On 4th and 9 their field goal attempt fell short. This reporter thought they had a better shot of getting a first down and should’ve gone for it, but it’s easy to say that from the stands.
In the second half neither offense did much though the Eagles did score on a late field goal to push the final score to 13-0.
For the Bulls it seemed like Bulls QB Matt Gross and his receivers were out of sync. On one play he threw what looked like a good pass but the receiver had given up on the play. On others Gross overthrew open men.
Despite the frustrations of a tough game, the players maintained their composure throughout the game. We’re hopeful they’ll learn from this and play better in their next game.
On the bright side, the band seemed to have fun. They were joined by students from the Loggers’ Run Middle School band for performance in the stands.

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