Milestones

THE ORIGINAL DON RAMON Cuban restaurant celebrates its 20th anniversary Friday with an open house fiesta (rumba dancers, complimentary cocktails, finger food, live music).

The party marks the opening of the very first Don Ramon restaurant on South Dixie Highway two decades ago by Ramon Vilarino, an enterprising exile who fled Cuba during the Mariel boatlift and came to embody the American dream with a string of eponymous restaurants.

Vilarino sold the original location 12 years ago to Juan and Dina Rubio, who remodeled the place but kept the traditional Cuban menu.

The Rubios have seen one generation of patrons usher in another, regular diners who now return with their grown children and grandchildren.

Friday’s festivities go from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at the restaurant, 7101 S. Dixie Highway. For information call (561) 547-8704 or visit DonRamonRestaurant.com.

Openings

THE RAW KITCHEN, a vegan eatery offering organic, raw, gluten-free foods, has opened at 509 Clematis St. in West Palm Beach . Open Sunday through Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Phone: (561) 820-0144.

HOLY SMOKE’S AMERICAN BISTRO & BAR has opened at 2650 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens, in the space formerly occupied by Shorty’s Bar-B-Q.

The spot is still serving ribs, in addition to pizza, pasta and seafood, all from the kitchen of Chef Michael Blum, recently featured in a Food Network Challenge "hot chefs" episode. (You’ve got to love a place that features a pit bull in a bow tie and a driving golf cap as its mascot!)

Open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Phone: (561) 624-7427.

Re-opened for season

MARCELLO’S LA SIRENA, mecca of fine Old World Italian cuisine, re-opens for its 25th season tonight at 6316 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach. Owners Marcello and Diane Fiorentino launch the new season with a revamped website: LaSirenaOnline.com. For reservations, call: (561) 585-3128.

The sizzle

BEEF JERKY DRIVE: Turns out our brave men and women in uniform have a widely shared guilty pleasure – they love their beef jerky. Answering a culinary call to support the troops, a group of Jupiter artists have joined forces with Adopt-A-Platoon and Americans Supporting Americans Jupiter/Tequesta to stage a beef jerky collection drive tonight.

The drive benefits the Florida-based 325th Security Force Squadron. The community is invited to bring their beef jerky contributions to A Unique Art Gallery, 226 Center St. in Jupiter, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. today. For information, call Susan at (954) 588-7275.

ROSH HASHANA MENU: In addition to its regular American bistro fare, Pavilion Grille in Boca Raton serves a special holiday menu tonight and Thursday night, offering matzo ball soup or salad; a choice of sliced braised brisket of beef, spice-and-herb roasted chicken or fillet of salmon; and dessert and coffee or tea; for $19.95 plus tax and tip.

Pavilion Grille is at 301 Yamato Road, in the atrium of the Stonegate Bank Building. For reservations, call (561) 912-0000 or book online at paviliongrille.com.

SOCIALLY CORRECT DINING FOR KIDS: Etiquette expert Lovely Payoute addresses our youngsters’ unruly tendencies in a series of classes at Nordstrom in Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton. Classes begin Saturday at the Gardens Mall and Sunday at the Town Center. Registration is $140. To sign up, call Lovely at (786) 385-1548 or visit EtiquetteMiami.com.

WINE AND DINE (AND CRUISE) WITH ZACH BELL: Never mind the midnight buffet – this is a real foodie treat. You can wine and dine aboard the Celebrity Solstice with Cafe Boulud’s chef de cuisine Zach Bell, one of the featured chefs of the luxury cruise line’s "Savor" series. Bell will lead a cooking class and a wine-pairing dinner.

The ship sails from Fort Lauderdale Oct. 31 for the seven-day cruise, with stops in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. To reserve a spot, call Celebrity at (800) 647-2251.

On land, of course, you can sample Bell’s cuisine at Cafe Boulud, at the Brazilian Court, 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach. (561-655-6060; CafeBoulud.com).