Four stops, morning to night, all inside the 561. Here is the plan for this weekend so you are not standing in a parking lot at noon trying to figure out what's next.
Morning: Deke's in Delray
Start at Deke's, the tiny espresso bar on NE 5th Ave that roasts its own single-origin beans every few days, so your cortado is about as fresh as coffee gets in Delray. Order one with their house-made date milk and grab a croissant from one of the local bakeries they work with. It is a small counter spot with only a few outdoor seats, so go early. It is about fifteen minutes north and the right low-key open to a Saturday.
Lunch: Kapow Noodle Bar, Mizner Park
The modern Asian standby at Mizner Park has a wrap-around bar and a big covered patio that keeps a midday table comfortable even in July. Go for the bao buns and the General Tso's cauliflower, add a cocktail, and if the table is up for it, the tableside Peking duck is the showpiece. It is the easy Boca lunch that does not feel like a compromise.
Afternoon: Halfway to Christmas Craft Fair, WPB
Yes, Christmas in July, and yes, it is air-conditioned. The Halfway to Christmas Craft Fair runs Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm, at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center, with crafters and artists from all over the state, hourly door prizes, and Santa and Mrs. Claus stopping by from noon to 2pm each day. Admission is $7, kids 10 and under are free, and parking is free too. One tip: bring a light jacket, because they crank the AC and run fake snow flurries, so it actually gets cold inside. Thirty-five minutes north and a genuinely good way to beat the heat.
Night: Dada, Delray
Close it out at Dada, an art-filled restaurant and bar set inside a 1924 house on Swinton, where every room has its own look and the real prize is the garden out back under a giant banyan tree. Grab a craft cocktail (the mojito is the move, start with the strawberry basil) and settle in, since there is live music and open-mic on the calendar most nights. It is the artsy, low-key way to close the night downtown.
Deke's in Delray: 6 NE 5th Ave, Delray · from 7am (Sat and Sun till 2pm) · house-roasted single-origin, ask for the date milk
Kapow Noodle Bar: 402 Plaza Real, Boca Raton (Mizner Park) · opens 11:30am, late-night on weekends
Halfway to Christmas Craft Fair: South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center, 9067 Southern Blvd, WPB · Jul 11-12, 10am-4pm · $7, kids 10 and under free · free parking
Dada: 52 N Swinton Ave, Delray · open nightly, Fri and Sat till 11pm · garden under the banyan tree, live music on the calendar, get the mojito
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