Wikicommons/tango

As events regarding the Boston Marathon bombing suspects continue to unfold, there is some positive news in one case close to our hearts here at Clean Plate Charlie and New Times Broward-Palm Beach.

Long-time freelance writer and food blogger, Tricia Woolfenden, was personally affected by the tragedy in Boston when members of her own family were injured in the blast at the finish line.

Her brother Stephen Woolfenden and his three-year-old son were injured in the explosion. Tricia is a close friend of many of us here in the newsroom and we anxiously awaited news of her family's welfare.

Word came this morning that the three-year-old boy has been released from the hospital.

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foodieSarah/Flickr CC

Do you scoff at the notion of being called a foodie but can't stop taking photos of every plate you see? Are you fanatical about local chefs the way Beliebers idolize their teen heartthrob? Do you refuse to eat anything that hasn't been grown 60 miles from where you live?

If yes, New Times needs you (and your friends probably can't stand you).

We're searching for contributors to South Florida's preeminent food and dining blog, Clean Plate Charlie. Ideal candidates should have at least six months of professional or blog-writing experience, the ability to take great photos, and knowledge of the local dining scene -- from the Hollywood Beach Broadwalk to Delray Beach. The blog covers all news related to food, mixology, chefs -- both local and celebrity -- companies that deal in edibles, and just plain ingestible weirdness.

Send clips and resumé to rebecca.dittmar@browardpalmbeach.com. No phone calls please.

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Follow @ CleanPlateBPB

Funky Buddha Lounge & Brewery

The buzz for Funky Buddha Brewery in Oakland Park is getting more intense as time closes in on its official opening date, which begs the question: when is the opening?

"We're looking late May for an opening," said KC Sentz of the Funky Buddha to Brett Hubbard, host of the South Florida audio blog By The Glass Show at the New Times Beerfest. "We were looking for a late February, early March opening but with construction, new equipment and getting it installed, it's been a great ride."

See Also:
- Funky Buddha Lounge Expands Brewery to Oakland Park
- Funky Buddha Launches New Founder's Club

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All photos by Zachary Fagenson

Inside DelVecchio's new Weston store.

Sure it looks as though South Florida is recovering from the real estate meltdown that led to the region being labeled as one of nation's most troubled, but in the midst of panic came opportunities.

"Weston Town Center was struggling in 2008 and I started buying up all of the restaurants that were going bankrupt," said Jamie McDonnell, CEO of the Weston Dining Group.

The company's flagship seems to be DelVecchio's pizza. In late January it opened its fourth restaurant in Weston and is planning another in the next 45 days in Sunrise. It's eyeing two more locations in Aventura and Boca. McDonnell seems to be planning a small pizza empire- opening one store every 60 days for the next three to five years leading to 30-plus pizzerias - and one that could be sold for a hefty profit.

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Bustedmugshots.com

Quinton Redell Sylvestre is one of three men charged with the murder of Rafael Rodriguez.

Three men are facing charges in connection with the shooting of a manager/bartender at Josephine's Italian Restaurant in Boca Raton.

According to WPEC, Channel 12 news, Quinton Redell Sylvestre, 26, of Fort Lauderdale; Samuel Magic Walker, 27, of Lauderdale Lakes; and Adalberto Junior Montalvo, 29, of Pompano Beach were linked to the fatal shooting of Rafael Rodriguez during an armed robbery at the restaurant on January 4.

Read Also: Josephine's Manager, Rafael Rodriguez, Shot During Armed Robbery Friday



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Alert Gum

Alert Gum -- because a Starbucks in your knapsack is too messy.

So you drank too much and stayed out far too late last night and now you have an important presentation scheduled for first thing in the morning. Sucks to be you (although we've been in the same boat far too many times).

Panicking, you pop a few aspirin and down an entire pot of coffee.

You're feeling better but your breath smells like the bottom of a Nespresso machine that hasn't been cleaned for a year.

Frantically spraying your yap with Binaca, you wish that someone would invent a product that could wake you up and make you smell all minty fresh at the same time!

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bestfloridabeer.org

Brewzzi, a Palm Beach brewpub, scored a total of ten medals at the 2013 Best Florida Beer Championships on Saturday in Tampa, winning two gold, four silver, and four bronze medals.

Due South Brewing Co. of Boynton Beach also came away with several medals, winning four silver and three bronze.

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Will Mangos be sold to an Orlando company?

Mangos Restaurant and Lounge, the iconic island-style restaurant and lounge on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, may be in the process of being bought out by Big Three Restaurants Inc. The Orlando corporation is in the business of owning and operating franchise restaurants.

Big Three is an early-stage development company with plans to purchase nine Kentucky Fried Chicken stores, one Taco Bell, one Long John Silver -- and Mango's.

With its island theme and large indoor/outdoor bar, Mangos has long been a fixture on Las Olas, especially during weekends, when live bands provide music for dancing and happy hours provide locals and tourists alike a place to mingle over cocktails and fish dip.



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IKEA US

It's OK to eat the meatballs.

If you're heading to IKEA in Sunrise to pick up some cheap furniture and a snack, don't worry too much about finding remnants of Trigger in your lunch.

Earlier in the week, authorities in the Czech Republic detected horse meat in IKEA meatballs. Initially, the furniture company removed meatballs from its stores in Sweden.

According to the New York Times, IKEA then expanded the recall to include its stores in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, France, Britain, Portugal, Italy, Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Greece, Cyprus, and Ireland.



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Prepare your Costco-sized box of Kleenex for that friend who gleefully shelled out fistfuls of cash to obtain some of the last packages of Twinkies on earth.

First because a U.S. bankruptcy court in White Plains, N.Y. on Monday gave Hostess Brands Inc. permission to auction of its Twinkie and Wonder Bread brands, according to a Reuters report. Second because early coverage of the Hostess bankruptcy pointed out that many of its most famous brands remain profitable. Twinkies, for example, earned Hostess about $68 million in revenue through Nov. 2012, according to CNBC.

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