These Are a Few of My Favorite Palm Beach Shops

Carleton Varney

08 Apr , 2022

By Carleton Varney- Special to the Palm Beach Daily News

Who else in Palm Beach has noticed what seems to be far more traffic than usual this season? It seems like everyone wants to either live on the island or visit it.

And that means it may take me a little longer in the car to visit some of my favorite destinations, but the following stops are worth the red lights, the traffic tie-ups and the bridge crossings.

All the buzz: Well, now we can all enjoy breakfast at Hive Bakery and Cafe. The establishment at 1603 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach is a tribute to the talents of interior designer and owner Sara McCann. The Palm Beach resident is truly a queen of style, befitting her Hive collection of businesses.

On the gallery scene: I so enjoy the photography of Mark S. Kornbluth, particularly his 58-by-64-inch depiction of New York City’s Richard Rodgers Theater, an archival pigment print on Canson Platine paper. You can see it for yourself at Chase Edwards Galleries, 290 A S. Country Road in Palm Beach. It’s a newer gallery with lots to look at and love.

Scream for ice cream: Who doesn’t love ice cream? If you read this column, you know I’m a fan of color — so on my visits to ice cream shops, I don’t just enjoy the flavors but also the hues.

It’s a treat to peer into into the ice cream case at the classic Sprinkles at 279 Royal Poinciana Way in Palm Beach; enjoy the pink grapefruit sorbet at Carvel on at 5901 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm; or taste the rum-raisin specialty at the Ice Cream Club, that delightful ice cream parlor in Manalapan’s Plaza Del Mar at 361 S. Ocean Blvd., directly across from the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa on South Ocean Boulevard.

I've gotten ideas for many an interior design scheme from ice-cream colors. Think how well pistachio green and strawberry pink look together, whether in a room or a sugar cone.

Window shopping: How I love the bed and table settings in the windows of Pioneer Linens at 210 N. Clematis St. in downtown West Palm. Have you caught the store’s new round of TV commercials? (I’ll admit I’m a little fixated on watching the show "Shark Tank," and during the commercial breaks I often see the Pioneer Linens ads). Penny Murphy and her daughters run a great store, which is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. They are happy to sit down and help you put together your bath, bedroom and dining-table décor, from sheets to blankets to towels to placemats. You can be certain the look will be enchanting.

Busy street: Have you driven down Georgia Avenue lately, one street west of South Dixie Highway’s Antique Row in West Palm Beach? I’ve operated a business on the street for years, and every day, it seems, I see another design-oriented outlet opening on the road. I am told the higher rents for storefronts on Dixie Highway are making the move very attractive for some.

One of my favorite stops is Authentic Provence, 6100 Georgia Ave., which offers the best in garden and outdoor accessories designed with a French attitude. You’ll find items from concrete urns to lighting fixtures to unique accessories in the Provence country style. This shop offers the best, as I discovered when I purchased some concrete garden benches and chairs for a residence in Greenwich, Connecticut.

Quick bites: In the old days, local pharmacies often had a soda fountain, which was perfect for a quick bite on the go. But that role has been largely replaced by fast-food chains. That’s why the lunch spot at Green’s Pharmacy, 151 N. County Road, remains so special, offering tasty breakfasts and lunches plus a touch of nostalgia with its black-and-white-tile floor and counter sets of bright red vinyl. One word of advice to the management: Bring back the citrus salad! I miss it.

For the kids: Across the road from Classic Bookshop in Palm Beach is my favorite children’s shop, Aristokids, 309 S. County Road. And it is there that I find colorful outfits for my grandson, Bowie. I stopped by the shop recently and bought him some Hawaiian design shirts and colorful shorts, as well as some rainbow swimming trunks. Any shop that sells rainbow designs will find me at the doorway.

A longtime favorite: And the last but not least on my travels around town is the C. Orrico boutique, where colorful fashion is always a theme along with the newest designs. The three Orricos — Kathie, Casey and Colleen — for years have kept C. Orrico on the must-visit list for residents and tourists alike.

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Posted On April 22, 2022 by Lynn Taylor

Agree with you 100%!!!
Posted On April 22, 2022 by Erik Wagner

Mr. Varney,
One more thing, could you make the print a little larger. My eyes are not what they used to be.
Posted On April 22, 2022 by Erik Wagner

Thanks for the Georgia Ave reminder.
Antique Provence looks great. I must visit. Although everything I looked at had no price, but said “inquire”. Are prices fluctuating that rapidly that they are hesistant to give a price. Or maybe, if I have to ask the price…..
Posted On April 22, 2022 by Louise Yeatts

Carleton I just love you post today. I’m going to try some of the places you suggested
Thank you
Posted On April 22, 2022 by William Messick

I have long been a fan of your style and design and wanted to thank you for the inspiration and joy you have brought to so many. I don’t believe anyone could walk into a Carlton Varney designed room or resort without feeling uplifted and happy!
I look forward to reading your post while enjoying my Saturday morning coffee! Keep the column and the color coming!

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