Let me see… take a bulk candy store, throw in a “cartoon cow” motif… throw in custom-made milkshakes using a fat-free vanilla yogurt base mixed with all kinds of candy-cereal-syrup-fruit combinations—and you got Make A Shake.

Hope you’re not on a diet!

Check www.makeashake.com for menu.

This is a real simple concept…the milkshake combinations are literally endless.

For those of you who don’t quite get the concept. Think—Dairy Queen Blizzard and you’ll be on the right page.

The Snickers-Oreo one that I had…off the chart. Like I said a few seconds ago, hope you’re not on a diet.

Make A Shake is open Sunday-Thursday 1pm-midnight, Friday-Saturday noon-2am.

Spot Coffee (for a point of reference, think Starbuck’s) is a small-chain…Delray Beach, Florida– Buffalo (3), New York–Williamsville, New York (wherever the hell that is?)–Rochester, New York– Toronto, Ontario.

Now, I’m not exactly sure as to who likes these kinda joints…Generation X or is it Generation Y–what I do know, is that nothing and nobody is ever going to beat Chock Full O’ Nuts’ lunch counters circa 1960 with their $.10 coffee, whole-wheat-donuts and nut-and-cream-cheese sandwiches—However…

If you are a member of Generation X, Generation Y or like Mrs. Jeff Eats someone who doesn’t dwell on the past—you will absolutely love Spot Coffee’s coffees, breakfast items, pizzas, sandwiches, salads. Today- at the Delray joint had an ice coffee that was perfectly made, a grilled cheese on focaccia bread and a belgian waffle that almost made me forget about Chock Full O’Nuts’ stuff.

You can check www.spotcoffee.com for menu/prices.

Having eaten in- my fair share of Chinese Restaurants since my 1949 Brooklyn birth–I can unequivocally say, that I am an expert on pistachio ice cream.

If you want to eat an amazingly delicious pistachio ice cream–then you gotta try the one that Blue Bell Creameries makes. I get mine at Publix and it’s usually something like $6.98 for a 1/2 gallon. If you play your cards right, every so often, Publix runs a 2–1/2 gallons for $9.

For more information on Blue Bell Creameries which has been around since 1907—www.bluebell.com.

You regular readers-know by now, that I consider the “retail” cupcake store business to be a FAD…One of these days, like the home-video-rental business, many of these mom & pop ventures aren’t going to be able to pay their rent…same also goes for the yogurt by-the-ounce guys out there. Simply put, there are just way too many stores for what I think are relatively limited markets.

With that in mind…Cupcake Cottage makes some of the most delicious cupcakes that you have ever eaten. Take it from a guy who was raised on Hostess Cupcakes, Twinkies and Ding Dongs—this joint’s stuff is amazingly good.

Cupcake Cottage www.cupcakecottage.net is open Tuesday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm, Sunday 11am-6pm, closed on Monday.

As I’m sure- most of you know that Krispy Kreme Donuts is a “national-international” donut chain with stores in the United States and abroad. Really don’t have the time or inclination to go into detail, but the chain- which has been around since 1937 found its “growth” stunted a few years ago, when its management was caught-up in a public accounting/business scandal. Suffice it to say, many think (me included) that the new management, installed just a few short years ago, has turned Krispy Kreme Donuts’ business around. Now, I could be wrong here, but I think that Krispy Kreme’s stock currently selling at $6.39 (KKD) is an absolute steal. Do your on own DUE DILIGENCE. You can get details on Krispy Kreme at www.www.krispykreme.com.

As for Krispy’s donuts…a recent outing to a Miami location convinced me that its hot-glazed donut is one of the most delicious “things” known to mankind. To be perfectly honest with you, Dunkin’ Donuts’ coffee is better, but Krispy’s donuts are better. Just so you know, my taste test also included, cake and cinnamon twist donuts–also delicious.

For the record, I bought KKD yesterday. Like I said before, I think that “new” management has finally gotten a firm hand on this turnaround situation. I also like the fact, that huge foreign expansion plans appear to be in the works.

By the way, the Miami location listed above, is open 24/7.

Let me make this one short and sweet (pun intended)…I never met- a donut that didn’t like me and vice versa. One of my favorite “in house” delights, is to pig-out on 6 honey glazed donuts with a hot cup of coffee while reading the newspaper. Suffice it to say, when I’m in such a mood, I really don’t care if the donuts are Dunkin’ Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Publix brand

…just call it, a quest for a sugar high or a carefree moment. Not being a limited kinda guy–I also love powdered, jelly, cake donuts (just to name a few)–but honey glazed is at the top of the list. Anyway…the point of this discussion, is to get across the fact, that donuts are one of my favorite food-groups.

For the record, over the years I must have eaten/taken out donuts from the Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach–Dandee locations a combined 30 times. I have never tried the Hollywood joint. From what I understand, the 3-stores are owned by different people…but the donuts and food menus are basically the same. You can check menu/prices at www.dandeedonuts.com.

The best way for me to describe The Dandee Donut Factory, “think”– Dunkin’ Donuts meets Waffle House or Ruffle House (By the way, when the guy who owned Waffle House wouldn’t sell a franchise to a guy who wanted one, the second guy started his own chain named Ruffle House. I thought you’d like that little gem, in case you ever go on Jeopardy). All 3 locations, in addition to donuts have a breakfast/lunch menu. Counter/table seating. For the record, the “non” donut stuff, is as good as any “mom & pop” diner’s offerings and runs circles around the IHOP’s, Denny’s and Perkin’s of the world. That said, the real game at The Dandee Donut Factory is DONUTS.

Let me close this out by saying…the donuts served by Dunkin’ Donuts and Krispy Kreme are no match whatsoever for the donuts made by Dandee.

If you realy want to eat 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-11…delicious- out of this world donuts, you gotta try The Dandee Donut Factory. The Pompano location is open 24/7. The other two joints are open Monday-Sunday 6am-4pm.

These “guys” really know how to make donuts.

This one is basically a “public service” announcement…The other day, I saw a tv news segment–on the health benefits of eating dark chocolate. In a nutshell, dark chocolate supposedly is good for your cardiovascular system, produces valuable antioxidants and flavonoids, lowers cholesterol and blood pressure- and helps to relieve depression.

Now, that you know why you should be eating dark chocolate, you gotta checkout Jan’s Homemade Candies in Lauderdale By The Sea. You can check products etc. at www.janshomemadecadies.com.

Suffice it to say, you can get all the home-made dark chocolate that your little heart desires, not to metion delicious carmel apples, licorice, nuts, fudge—and “every” candy known to mankind–at Jan’s.

In my day, I’ve been in loads of “candy stores”…Jan’s is right up there with the best of breed.

So, if you are a healthnut like I am, Jan’s is open Monday-Thursday 11am-6pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-8pm, closed on Sunday.

If- like me, you are a sucker for the faux-1950′s diner concept—you will absolutely love City Diner in West Palm Beach. It’s got it all… vinyl/formica booths, red checkerboard tile, vinyl covered stools, counter seating, old tvs with black & white shows, jukebox, oldies music, old signs, assorted old-”crap” (in the nice sense) on the walls and hanging from the ceiling— breakfast stuff, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees, malts/milkshakes/sundaes. Unlike Johnnie Rocket type “chains”- City Diner is a “mom & pop” deal, so for good or bad, every decoration is a one-off…

Just so we are on the same page, nothing fancy going on here. City Diner serves really solid basic “diner” food.

A recent outing had me doing… bacon cheeseburger, french fries, onion rings, meatloaf, philly cheesesteak sub, chicken pot pie, chocolate milkshake. Like I said before, I’m a sucker for joints like this…they sort of take me back to a “simpler” time, when I didn’t have to wakeup worrying about Greece’s economy—back then, I really had no fears- because I knew that P.S. 179′s wooden desks would shield me from a Russian nuclear attack. Anyway…everything I ate was right on the money. A special shoutout to the chicken pot pie, one of the best I’ve had in a very long time.

Let me sum City Diner up this way…I loved it. I knew it wasn’t really 1957, but the food/decor/vibe made me recall my dad’s 1956 Olds 88 and an easier-way of living.

City Diner is open Sunday-Monday 8am-3pm, Tuesday-Saturday 8am-8:30pm.

I know that it’s something like 103-out there…but you absolutely-positively gotta try 2 Chef’s Souparee that makes some of the most amazingly delicious- soups, salads, sandwiches, dinner entrees and desserts that you have ever tasted. 2 Chef’s is basically a takeout, but it does have indoor seating for about 16…order at/pickup at counter.

2 Chef’s menu has 17 soups, 4 dinner salads, 8 sandwiches, 6 dinner entrees, 6 desserts. From what I can tell, only the breads and rolls are not home-made.

I recently tried mushroom barley soup (bowl-$4.90), french onion soup (bowl-$4.90), chicken pot pie soup (bowl-$5.90), new england clam chowder (bowl-$5.90). Let me state unequivocally that all of the soups—were outstanding. On the sandwich front, chicken salad and tuna salad ($6.90) were dynamite…same for the sirlon patty melt ($6.90). Dinner entrees “sampled” ($11.90–come with bread. soup or salad, potato or pasta) “sampled”… meatloaf–chicken parmigiana–1/2 roast chicken…All were delicious.
On the dessert front- the chocolate cake and peanut-butter chocolate cake—were definitely worth the calories

Every so often old Jeff Eats “stumbles” upon a homerun. 2 Chef’s Souparee is a grandlsam.

2 Chef’s is open Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm. The joint is closed on Sunday.

One final piece of business, if “discount coupons” are your game…www.southfloridadines.com has a $7.50 gets you $15.00 deal going.

The other day I was in the Royal Palm Plaza…Boca Ratonians “know” this outdoor shopping center as the Pink Plaza. The landlord and unfortunately many of its tenants, know that this mediterranean style center- which happens to be Boca Raton’s oldest center, is an absolute white elephant…suffice it to say, over the years, tenants have come and gone–at an amazing rate…but, that’s a whole-nother story for another day.

Anyway…Saquella Caffe is one of the very few “Pink Plaza” businesses that has successfully managed to build an enormous-steady clientele. The joint has both indoor and outdoor patio seating and does breakfast-lunch-dinner. If you check www.saquella-usa.com you will find a reasonably priced menu of breakfast items, sandwiches, flat breads, salads, meat/chicken/seafood entrees, desserts.

As I mentioned before, I was there the other day…tried, blueberry waffle ($6.99), chicken waldorf/muesli toast ($9.99), greek salad ($10.95), nova smoked salmon salad ($11.99)—let me go out on a limb here, the food served-the decor-the service…ran absolute circles around most of my favorite South Florida bagel-deli “close” at 3pm joints.

Rather than racking my brain to describe the decor-atmosphere…conjur up a Woody Allen Italian/French cafe-bistro and you’ll be on target. By the way, at the website that I just gave you, there are decor-photos/video, so if you are from Mars or Pluto and have never caught a Woody Allen film–you won’t be out of the loop. Just so you know, your shorts/tee shirts work here as this is one cool-easy going joint.

Let me wrap this up…I absolutely loved Saquella.

Saquella Cafe is open Monday-Wednesday 7am-9pm, Thursday=Saturday 7am-11pm, Sunday 7am-4pm.