Restaurants close all the time around here, so much so that rounding up these closings is a regular feature in the South Florida Sun Sentinel. It’s easy to forget about the personal toll these decisions have on a community — until it is one of your favorite spots that pulls the plug.
This is the final weekend for Foxy Brown, which will close on Sunday after almost 15 years across two downtown Fort Lauderdale locations on the edge of Victoria Park. For all of that time, it has been a consistently rewarding source of culinary quality and creativity — from the Seared Tuna app and the signature Beef A Roni to the wildly inventive rotation of pancakes and waffles served at Sunday brunch, sometimes by waitstaff in pajamas. Legendary.
More than that, for its neighbors it was a beacon of community, literally: The TVs were always on, so if your dog happened to take you past Foxy’s wall of windows at 1:30 in the morning, you could be treated to the friendly glow of “SpongeBob SquarePants.”
The patio outside Foxy Brown was my dog Juneau’s favorite piece of real estate in town. It wasn’t so much that she might root out an errant green fry (Foxy’s irresistible tempura-coated green beans), but what seemed to be an intuitive sense that she’d be taken care of there.
And over time an almost daily routine developed: Juneau would sprawl among the diners on the patio and manager Amanda, bartenders Dee and Sophia, and a parade of other staffers would come out to greet her, supply some water and the odd green fry, and shoot the breeze.
It was all very small town and good. In more ways than one, its closing will leave a hole in our lives.
Thursday
Kosher soul food: Food writer and historian Michael W. Twitty will be at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday at 7 p.m., speaking about how his upbringing in African American and Jewish culinary traditions has informed his relationship to food, faith and identity. The winner of the James Beard Foundation Book of the Year award for his memoir “The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South” in 2018, Twitty also is the author of “Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew” (2022) and “Recipes from the American South” (2025). The event, a partnership with the David Posnack Jewish Community Center, will include food trucks (5-6:30 p.m) and an interactive spice lab. Tickets are free at DPJCC.org. VIP access also available.
Author and culinary historian Michael W. Twitty will speak at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday. (Michael W. Twitty/Courtesy)
Ticket window: Revered Argentine rock band Soda Stereo are bringing their ECOS Tour to the Kaseya Center in Miami on Sept. 20, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. Thursday at Ticketmaster.com.
Love songs: The touring production of the heart-tugging Broadway musical “The Notebook,” featuring music and lyrics by singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson (“The Way I Am”) and book by Bekah Brunstetter (NBC’s “This Is Us”), continues its run at the Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami through Sunday. Showtimes will be 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, and 1 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tip: There currently are tickets available for both performances on Mother’s Day. Tickets: ArshtCenter.org.
Thursday night live: Country singer Gavin Adcock, as seen on Morgan Wallen’s 2026 tour, will play Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Thursday at 8 p.m., with Pecos & The Rooftops opening. Tickets: MyHRL.com. … R&B singer-songwriter Ari Lennox brings her tour to The Fillmore Miami Beach on Thursday at 8 p.m. Tickets: Ticketmaster.com. … The Devon Allman Project’s Blues Summit (including Jimmy Hall, Larry McCray and Laka Soul) will set up at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: ParkerPlayhouse.com. … Dynamic bass guitarist Mohini Dey will be at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton on Thursday for shows at 6 and 8:30 p.m. Tickets: CrazyUncleMikes.com.
A Bronx tale: Zoetic Stage continues its Florida premiere of playwright Michele Lowe’s critically-praised “Moses” in the intimate Carnival Studio Theater at Miami’s Arsht Center. Starring Miami-native stage and TV actor David Rosenberg, the one-man show set in the Bronx, is a heart-wrenching, but ultimately uplifting, story of faith, remorse and the human spirit. “Playwright Michele Lowe has written a magnificent tale of a man who loses everything and is set upon a journey of identity, forgiveness and hope,” says Zoetic Stage artistic director Stuart Meltzer. Weekend showtimes will be 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Performances continue through May 17. Tickets: ArshtCenter.org.
Friday
Jazz supreme: Jazz pianist, composer, bandleader and Miami native Emmet Cohen will perform at the Arsht Center in Miami on Friday with “Live From Emmet’s Place,” the touring version of the livestreamed series that signed off last October after more than five years of music. The 8 p.m. concert will feature the rest of his “Emmet’s Place” trio — Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist Patrick Bartley Jr., formerly of Fort Lauderdale’s award-winning Dillard Center for the Arts jazz ensemble, and distinguished trumpeter Bruce Harris — joined by bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Joe Farnsworth. Tickets: ArshtCenter.org.
Garden party: Young Friends of the Norton, the young professionals social group at the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach, will gather at the museum from 7 to 9 p.m. Friday for Art on Tap, an evening of craft beer tastings, cocktails, light bites and live music by Call Me Kalil in the Goergen Garden. Tickets cost $35, which includes museum admission and can be applied to a Young Friends membership. Museum member admission is $15; Young Friends get in free. Tickets: Norton.org.
Coral Springs eternal: One of the most popular rock bands to come out of South Florida, Coral Springs pop-punk trailblazers New Found Glory will share music from new album “Listen Up!” when they perform at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on a bill with headliner Yellowcard and Plain White T’s. Tickets for the 7 p.m. Friday concert are available at Ticketmaster.com.
Performing at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood on Friday are punk-pop icons New Found Glory, pride of Coral Springs: Chad Gilbert, from left, Ian Grushka, Cyrus Bolooki and Jordan Pundik. (Elena De Soto/Courtesy)
Talking to you: The Popcorn Frights Film Festival will offer a weekend of cinematic adrenaline courtesy of Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese at Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale. On Friday, the 10 p.m. feature will be a 50th anniversary screening of the Scorsese-directed “Taxi Driver,” which follows the dark crusade of lonely New York City cabbie Travis Bickle (De Niro) as he spirals toward a memorable conclusion. Saturday will bring a 10 p.m. showing of “Cape Fear,” with Scorsese and De Niro pairing up in another portrait of maniacal mayhem. Tickets: PopcornFrights.com.
Where there’s smoke: Cigar Aficionado, the lifestyle magazine and then some, will host its popular Big Smoke gathering on Friday at the Eden Roc Miami Beach resort, an upscale celebration of top cigar makers, exclusive stogies, spirits and food. The event is from 6:30 to 9 p.m., with VIP entry at 5:30 p.m. Tickets: BigSmokeFlorida.com.
Straight outta Avon: “The Bard in Bars” is Shakespeare as you’ve never heard him, with iconic monologues and scenes merged with modern hip-hop rhythms and backed by the 12-piece string ensemble New Canon Chamber Collective. Performances will be at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the African American Research Library and Cultural Center in Fort Lauderdale, then at 7 p.m. May 15-16 at the Historic Lyric Theater in Miami’s Overtown neighborhood. The production was written and directed by Fort Lauderdale poet and playwright Darius Daughtry, founder of the Art Prevails Project. “Hip-hop and Shakespeare are two sides of the same coin — they both tell stories of love, power, struggle and identity,” Daughtry says. Tickets are free; VIP costs $20 (includes light bites, drinks). Visit Facebook.com/ArtPrevailsProject/events.
Son day: Local band Cortadito will celebrate El Dia del Son Cubano (Cuban Son Day) on Friday at the Miami Beach Bandshell with an evening of music, dancing and appreciation of the global influence of the sound so intrinsic to the island nation’s cultural heritage. The 8 p.m. concert also will include Grammy-winning Cuban singer Aymee Nuviola, singer Roberto Torres (“Caballo Viejo”), up-and-comer Ronkalunga and others. DJ Le Spam will play a set of classics from the genre, and there will be a Son Cubano dance class before the show (doors open at 7 p.m.). Tickets: MiamiBeachBandshell.com.
Weekend laughs: Provocative puppet Randy Feltface — he acknowledges being called “a purple Minion with an Ozempic dependency” on salty new YouTube special “First Banana” — will be at the Fort Lauderdale Improv in Dania Beach at 7:30 and 10 p.m. Friday and 7 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: ImprovFTL.com.
Friday tributes: Gary Mullen and The Works bring their popular “One Night of Queen” concert to The Parker in Fort Lauderdale on Friday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: ParkerPlayhouse.com. …. Earth, Wind & Fire tribute Let’s Groove Tonight will be at The Funky Biscuit in Boca Raton for shows on Friday at 9 p.m. and Saturday at 6 and 9 p.m. Tickets: FunkyBiscuit.com. … Bon Jovi simulators Shot Thru the Heart will play Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton at 8:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets: CrazyUncleMikes.com.
Saturday
The U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds will be doing their thing during Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale on Saturday and Sunday. (John McCall/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Wild wings: American military air superiority will be on display (as if we needed another reminder) on Saturday and Sunday with the return of Air Dot Show Fort Lauderdale, led by the aerial wizardry of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor Demo Team, Navy F-18 Rhino Demo Team and others. The action takes place from 11:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day at Fort Lauderdale beach, centered around Sunrise Boulevard. Viewing is free, but reserved watch areas and seat packages are available at Air.Show.
Local sound: A South Florida surfer, country singer and custodian of old Florida history, Brett Staska and his band The Souvenirs will celebrate the release of their new album, “Yeehaw Junction,” and an eponymous short film on Saturday at the Surfing Florida Museum in West Palm Beach (an extraordinary space). Doors open at 6 p.m., with the film screening at 7 p.m. and the band on at 8 p.m. The 10-track album (produced by cousin Jeremy Staska) is a rollicking road trip with Loxahatchee-raised Staska at the wheel, the ghost of Buck Owens riding shotgun, and Gram Parsons and The Flying Burrito Brothers in the back seat. It ends, fittingly, with an ode to the late, great Desert Inn in Yeehaw Junction. Admission is a $10 donation, which goes to the museum. Visit BrettStaska.com.
Brett Staska and The Souvenirs will celebrate their new album, “Yeehaw Junction,” at the Surfing Florida Museum in West Palm Beach on Saturday. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)
Then there were two: The West Palm Beach GreenMarket (once again voted the best farmers market in the country in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards) will host the finals of its Master Chef Showcase on Saturday, pitting Aaron George of Plate Palm Beach against May Aungthet of Ahmay’s Cuisine. The competition will take place from 10:30 a.m. to noon on the Great Lawn at the West Palm Beach Waterfront. Information: Facebook.com/EventsWPB.
High rollers: The Supercar Saturdays Florida series will gather elite cars and their owners and fans in the shadow of the Guitar Hotel at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. This edition also will include exotic rides from Gumball 3000, which will drop the flag on its 27th annual supercar road rally bound for Mexico City. Admission is free. Visit SupercarsSaturdaysFL.com.
Saturday night live: Charismatic rapper Kid Cudi will play iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach on Saturday at 6:30 p.m., joined by openers Big Boi of Outkast and DJ A-Trak (but no M.I.A.). Tickets: Ticketmaster.com. … Colombian rapper Blessd’s El Mejor Hombre Del Mundo Tour will hit the Kaseya Center in Miami at 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets: Ticketmaster.com. … Ethereal singer-songwriter Ethel Cain brings The Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour to The Fillmore Miami Beach at 8 p.m. Saturday. Some general-admission tickets are still available: Ticketmaster.com.
Final steps: Miami City Ballet will bring down the curtain on its 40th anniversary season this weekend with its Spring Mix 2 program, “¡Vamos! to the Beach,” at the Broward Center in Fort Lauderdale. The program includes Paul Taylor’s “Company B,” with an Andrews Sisters score; Durante Verzola’s world premiere “Grand Glittering Gershwin;” and Twyla Tharp’s “Deuce Coupe,” set to the music of the Beach Boys. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 1 and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets: MiamiCityBallet.org.
Saturday tribute: Local Fleetwood Mac tribute band True Rumours will return to Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.). Dress up for the Stevie Nicks lookalike contest for a chance to win a $100 Galuppi’s gift card, or $50 gift card for second place. Tickets, reservations: Galuppis.com.
Night fever: The touring Bee Gees Symphonic Experience, an evening of disco-era hits performed by a live orchestra, will take over the beautiful waterfront Miami Beach Bandshell on Saturday at 8 p.m. Tickets: MiamiBeachBandshell.com.
Sunday
Hard to beat the relaxing scene among the terrace tables at downtown Fort Lauderdale restaurant Casa Sensei for a Mother’s Day meal. (Casa Sensei/Courtesy)
Last-minute Mother’s Day: The crack staff at the Sun Sentinel has created a smart compilation of places to go on Sunday for Mother’s Day, but if you’re still scrambling, here’s a quick list of rooms with a mom-friendly view: Casa Sensei in downtown Fort Lauderdale, because it’s a beautiful spot on a canal, and it has two hours of unlimited mimosas, sangria and other sips for $19 (with entree), plus Togarashi Fried Chicken and Waffles and Hawaiian Rolls French Toast. Visit CasaSensei.com. … The House on the River, is another sweet waterfront spot on the New River in downtown Fort Lauderdale, with wonderful food served in a charming historic home and on its shaded terrace. Visit TheHouseOnTheRiver.com. … The newish Break House Kitchen & Beach Bar overlooks the renovated Deerfield Beach International Fishing Pier and offers a menu by James Beard Award-nominated chef Dean Max. And they have doughnut flights. Visit TheBreakHouse.com. … Kapow Noodle Bar in Boca Raton and Delray Beach will have a special Mother’s Day menu and a great view of $5 mimosas and $10 espresso martinis. Visit KapowNoodleBar.com.
Welcome return: Indie-pop fans were surprised last year when cult-y New York-based band Ivy released “Traces of You,” their first album in more than a decade, conjured from old recordings that included founding member Adam Schlesinger, who died in 2020 of complications from COVID-19. Now the other original members of Ivy — multi-instrumentalist Andy Chase and singer Dominique Durand, joined by longtime keyboardist and guitarist Bruce Driscoll — are on tour, with a stop on Sunday at Respectable Street in West Palm Beach. The show, sponsored by PureHoney Magazine, will include an opening set by locals Sweet Bronco. Highly recommended. Doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets: LimitlessAgency.com.
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at bcrandell@sunsentinel.com. Follow on IG: @BenCrandell.