This joint’s name…Big Foot Gyro & Subs- should give you a “hint” as to what this order at/pickup at the counter- free standing-hole in the wall restaurant is all about.

Check www.bigfoot4u.com for menu/prices/photos.

Big Foot has the expected full-boat of hot/cold subs…the kicker, it also has a load of Greek salads-plates, gyros and pita sandwiches.

A recent outing had me doing…chicken salad sub (large-$7.49), meatloaf sub (large- $7.49), gyro sub (large-$8.50), chicken gyro on pita bread ($6.99), steak/onion/peppers sub (large-$8.49)…every sandwich was delicious. Great fillings and fresh baked bread.

This is one of the best sub joints that I have been in–down here in old South Florida. Throw in the Greek “spin” and this joint is a big-winner.

Big Foot is open Monday-Friday 7am-7pm, Saturday 7am-3pm, closed on Sunday.

Got something really terrific for you…a wholesale/retail bakery & a wholesale/retail bagel-deli store. Same owners, right next to each other. This is strictly a takeout operation.

Guaranteed-absolutely-positively, that if I didn’t tell you about this joint, the chances are that you would never-ever find it. Crazy-crazy location…the joint is located in the “back” of the Hillsboro Antique Mall which is “housed” in the Festival Marketplace on Sample Road. There are 2- long retail counters (one for each business) and a huge bakery–kitchen operation where the stuff is made.

S & I and Gourmet make outrageously delicious—bagels, bialys, cakes, cookies, breads, salads, knishes, deli meats. The stuff is so good, that it is wholesaled to numerous restaurants, markets, bakeries, country clubs from Homestead–Jupiter, Florida.

Today, I brought home a mixed dozen bagels/bialys and I gotta tell you that the—everything, onion, plain were right up there with the best that I’ve had down here in South Florida. As for the bialys, as good as it gets…I kinda think that The Boys Farmers Market in Delray Beach (see reviews–6/1/10–May 6, 2009) which has great bialys– gets those bialys and many of its other terrific baked goods from S & I. Now-to continue my story, I also picked-up, potato-kasha-sweet potato knishes, which were absolutely delicious. My takeout order also had me doing, marble chiffon cake, chocolate rugalah, almond horn, apple turnover…excellent. I also did a pound of brisket, pound of corned beef, pound of pastrami—Now you guys know that I am very particular about my deli meats…that said, today’s “find” now has me “knowing” another joint (and there aren’t too many down here in South Florida) where I can get a really good NYC style deli sandwich.

For anyone not familar with the Festival Marketplace…it’s something like 400,000 square feet and has more watch stands–perfume stands–jewelry stands–shoe stands–cosmetic stands–sunglass stands–than any one person should be forced to walk by on a Sunday afternoon. From what I understand, S & I–Goumet Bagel have been in this flea market for over 10 years and were part of the “famers’ market” section which recently closed. It is now part of an antique mall surrounded by a ton of antique stands–which makes no sense whatsoever. Think of it logically, when was the last time that you went out to buy a dozen bagels and a 1952 Howdy Doody poster at the same “location”?

Anyway…you now know about a really good bakery-bagel-deli operation.

S & I Bakery and Gourmet Bakery Exchange are open 9:30am-5pm 7 days a week.

Chris’ Taverna is a GREEK RESTAURANT…maybe 10 formica tables inside, 3-4 outside. You can order at/pickup at the counter…or you can be fancy and have a waitress/waiter take care of you. Menu/prices/loads of photos at www.christaverna.com. This is strictly a shorts/tee shirt ensemble kinda-joint.

Now…and I really mean this, outrageously delicious food. I have to rank the Greek salad ($8.95), gyro entree ($11.95-2 sides), souvlaki entree ($11.95-2 sides), grilled baby lamb chops entree ($20.95, 5 chops-2 sides) right up there with the best that I’ve had in a Greek joint.

Really, that simple.

Chris’ Taverna is open Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 5pm-9pm.

The joint’s name says it all…Allegria Frozen Yogurt & Cupcakes. Order at the counter/pickup at the counter…3 cupcake flavors—chocolate-vanilla-red velvet (chocolate cake with cream cheese icing)…5 yogurt flavors—chocolate-green tea-vanilla-pomegrante-”daily” special…17 yogurt toppings. Check www.allegriafroyo.com for menu/prices.

As you guys know, I’m not a huge yogurt fan. I do enjoy a good cupcake or 2 or 3 now and then.

I recently tried Allegria’s chocolate yogurt, green tea yogurt and red velvet cupcake. Not bad, not bad at all. If you are a yogurt “fan”…this joint’s stuff was right up there with the best that I have eaten. That said, I’d prefer a cup of DQ’s vanilla or chocolate or a small Blizzard—As for the cupcake, it was delcious.

Allegria is open Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-9:30pm and Friday-Saturday 10:30am-10:30pm.

One of life’s simple pleasures…walking around the Festival Marketplace eating a sour pickle on a stick…don’t knock it till you’ve tried it…and it only costs 60 cents, 2 for a buck.

New York Pickle Co. is a “stand” located in the Festival Marketplace. The joint has been around for 18 years and has some of the most delicious sour–half sour–tomatoes–sauerkrat–peppers–olives in all of South Florida. The stuff is shipped in weekly from New York City and is sold from “old fashioned” barrels.

For you “old time” New Yooorkers…New York Pickle Co. is as close to Guss’ Pickles as you are gonna come. By the way, Guss’ which was around for close to 100 years (on the lower eastside) closed a few years ago.

Like I said before, one of life’s simple pleasures. Personally, I’d rather walk around a flea-market with a sour pickle on a stick than a cup of yogurt, any day of the week.

Trust me on this one—to paraphase Mikey’s brother…”Try it, you’ll like it.”

New York Pickle is open Monday-Friday 9:30am-5pm and Saturday-Sunday 9:30am-6pm.

Got a real-good Italian Deli Bakery…Four Star Ravioli located in Coral Springs. The joint has a couple of tables—so let’s consider this joint a takeout. You can check menu/prices at www.fourstarravioli.com.

Four Star is a throwback to the Italian delis which dotted the NYC landscape circa 1950s-1960s…for those of you old enough to remember, back then—literally every “neighborhood” in the 5 boroughs had some type of mom & pop deli(s) where your mom sent you to pickup food when you were a kid. In my Brooklyn neighborhood, there was a kosher deli—there was a German deli–there was an Italian deli…all within 7 blocks of each other. In that same radius–the supermarkets were A & P, Waldbaum’s and Bohacks. There was also 5 bakeries and 9 candy stores. There was also 6 “grocery stores”—I can still picture Mr. Goodman sitting behind the register. Not to mention a Chinese hand laundry—and 4 pizza joints and 2 “full” Italian restaurants. Also–let’s not forget those darkly lit bars…my neighborhood had 4 of those guys…and I almost forget butcher shops, there were 3–and fruit stores there were 2 in my neighborhood.

Anyway…Four Star has the full boat of hot-cold subs, pizzas, soups, salads, pastas, meat/seafood/chicken dishes, cheeses, breads, baked goods.

I recently had some folks over to the house—and picked up the following… 2-17″ sicilian pizzas, 2-16″ plain round pizzas, 3-10″ chicken parmesan sub, 3-10″ sausage/peppers/onion, 3-philly cheese steak subs, 3-10″ prosciutto & mozzeralla subs, caesar-antipasto-mozzarella caprice salads, minestrone and Italian wedding soups. The food was delicious and very reasonably priced.

To be honest with you, Four Star is not exactly in my neighborhood…that said, every so often, I think you gotta change it up from the neighborhood mama & pop red sauce pizza joints…after awhile, at least to me, all of the food that these joints make– begins to taste all the same. Four Star is not a restaurant and is more “caterer like”—if that makes any sense to you folks.

Four Star is open Sunday-Monday 9am-3pm, Tuesday-Friday 9am-6pm and Saturday 9am-5pm.

Lucarella’s is a red sauce Italian takeout “pizzeria-deli-bakery”…don’t let the joint’s “dumpy” storefront scare you off—trust me on this one– some of the best pizzas, calzones, hot/cold subs, salads, pastas, meat/chicken/seafood dishes, baked goods that you will ever bring home.

Check Lucarella’s menu/prices at www.lucarellas.com.

I recently did… 18″ plain pizza ($12.99), chicken parmigiana calzone ($5.25), 6″ sausage-peppers-onion sub ($6.50), 6″ chicken salad sub ($6.50), caprese salad ($8.99), meat lasagna dinner (includes entree, garlic roll, house salad, pasta side $9.99), large chocolate cannoli ($3.95) and the stuff was absolutely delicious.

For you speed-readers out there…THIS IS A RED SAUCE TAKEOUT JOINT. If “mom & pop” stuff is your game (it’s mine)– you gotta give Lucarella’s a shot.

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

Well it’s that time of the year…when Publix, Costco and Walmart “start” the HURRICANE SEASON…if you’ve been down here in old-South Florida for any length of time, you know exactly what I’m talking about…all of a sudden the weathermen start talking about this possible– tropical depression and this possible tropical storm and this possible hurricane—and us-guys run out to Publix-Costco-Walmart and loadup on bottle waters-batteries–candles–and God only knows what else…

Anyway…this year, I’m “doing it” another way…when the weathermen start talking–I’m going to Sweeter Days Bake Shop and loadup with some absolutely delicious cupcakes-cookies-cakes-brownies–gelato…and get ready to ride the weather-out.

A recent outing to Sweeter Days Bake Shop had me “doing” a chocolate chocolate fudge cupcake, a boston cream cupcake and key lime cupcake (they run $2.95 each)—and I gotta tell you, it’s real easy to get hooked on these freshly baked creations.

Take a look at www.sweeterdaysbakeshop.com for menu/prices.

Now I know, some of you out there are “wondering”…What happens if you take home gelato–put it in the freezer and a storm really does hit and you lose power?

Anyway…Sweeter Days is open Monday-Saturday 10am-6pm and is closed on Sunday.

Mr. M’s…order at/prickup at the counter sub shop…plenty of indoor seating.

Mr. M’s Sub Sandwich Shops makes outrageously delicious subs. Check www.mrmssubs.com for menu/prices.

A recent outing had me “doing” tuna salad sub, chicken salad sub, philly cheese steak ,chicken parmesan sub…like I said, outrageously good. The joint has the full gamut of hot and cold subs– sandwiches and salads.

This is one of the best sub shops that I’ve been to- down here in South Florida.

Mr. M’s is open Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm and Sunday 11am-6pm.

Shake Shack…”order at/pickup at counter…burgers, fries, hot dogs, custard, shakes.

There are 5 Shake Shacks in New York City…1-in Saratoga, New York…1-in Miami, Florida.

This is “fast food” at its best.

Check www.shakeshacknyc.com for menu/prices/locations/pictures.

The next time you are down in South Beach, this joint is an absolute-must-try…Just so you know, Shake Shack has a cult-like-following…so don’t be surprised by some heavy duty crowds and lines.

Shake Shack is open Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11:30am-1am.