This contest started on 5/28/20. This contest has a winner.

Just so you guys know, the gentlemen pictured in the years-ago taken photo- is Joey Daleo (aka Joey Dale) who passed away in early March, 2020. Joey a transplanted New Yorker- who until he passed was one of Florida’s most popular & successful doo-wop/50’s-60’s-70’s performers (Joey Dale & the Gigolos), not to mention one of its top talent managers and show/concert promoters. Do yourselves a real favor and checkout joeydale.com and read about this man who truly lived a full-non stop exciting life!

Hear’s a brief clip of Joey Dale & the Gigolos (by the way, Joey is the guy on the “right” with the cap on his head who most of you guys thought was Charlie Sheen).

* Win A $20 Visa Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $20 Visa Gift Card to give to one of you guys.

The game- the first 20 “reader-comments” received – which correctly identify (name) the -entertainer pictured above- will be entered in a “blind hat pick”! You can submit as many comments as you’d like but- Please, only 1- reader comment – per day…play fair!

The $20 Gift Card is good at any business which accepts Visa.

* Have You Guys Ever Wondered: What’s the Difference Between Jam and Jelly?

Well if you have- wonder no more…

from thekitchn.com

What’s the Difference Between Jam and Jelly?
by SHEELA PRAKASH
PUBLISHED: APR 22, 2019

As I eat my weight in sweet strawberries this time of year, the subject of what to do with the abundance of spring and summer fruit comes to mind. I am usually more than content with enjoying berries and stone fruit as-is, but when I’ve gone a little overboard at the farmers market, jam is one of the many things I consider making. Or is it jelly? The two terms for fruit spread have always confused me a bit. Luckily, there’s an easy way to distinguish between the two.

Jam

Jam is a mixture of fruit, sugar, and sometimes pectin, which is used as a thickener. It all gets boiled quickly until the fruit breaks down just enough to soften but still holds much of its shape. The result is something that is thick and spreadable but a bit clumpy here and there. Jam is wonderful as a spread but also spooned onto yogurt, oatmeal, or even ice cream.

Jelly

The biggest difference with jelly is it’s made with fruit juice instead of actual fruit. Fruit juice is boiled with sugar and pectin to form a translucent spread that’s semi-firm. Since whole fruit isn’t used to make jelly, there won’t be mashed pieces of fruit in it, like there typically is in jam. Jelly can also be made with other ingredients, such as herbs, wine, or flowers. It’s best used as a spread or a condiment for things like cheese or even meat, depending on what it’s made from.

This contest started on 5/25/20. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $20 Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $20 Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant Gift Card to give to one of you guys!

The game- the first 30 “reader-comments” received – will be entered in a “blind hat pick”! You can submit as many comments as you’d like but- Please, only 1- reader comment – per day…play fair!

The $20 Gift Card is good at Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 7120 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 392-9075.

You can check menu/prices at www.ninosofboca.com.

Posted on June 1st, 2015.

*****Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 7120 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 392-9075.

Got this e-mail this morning…

Jeff,
It was a pleasure meeting you and your wife at Friday night’s Morris Day & The Time concert in Pompano Beach. Terrific show.
As I mentioned, my wife and I in late April retired to Deerfield Beach after living our 41 years of married life in Plainview, Long Island. We are just getting organized and as I told you we literally stumbled across your jeffeats.com site while looking for restaurants to eat in. Your taste in both food and entertainment match up pretty close with ours.
You have tons of picks and I was wondering if you could give us a great ‘mom & pop’ Italian joint in the Deerfield Beach area. As you may recall we are living around the Powerline/Sample Road area and we’re looking for that one pizza tee shorts/tee shirt joint to really count on.
Once again, great meeting you.
Joe K
_____
Joe K:

Glad that you enjoyed Morris Day and the Time. It was a great show.

It was nice meeting you and your wife.

Real simple answer to your “request”…just by coincidence, last night- Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats ate dinner at Nino’s Pizzeria in Boca Raton- and I gotta tell you, that this joint for the past 23 years has been one of our go-to-“mom & pops”…never and I repeat-never- a bad meal. Just between you and me, Nino’s makes a veal chop parmigiana and chicken cacciatore/chicken scarpariello both on the bone- that are off the chart. As for New York Style Pizza, the joint’s pies and slices are top-shelf!

Printed down below is a “review” that Jeff Eats did back on 5/19/14…try Nino’s- the bet here, you and your wife will absolutely love it!

Thanks for reading..

________

Posted on May 19th, 2014
***** Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 7120 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 392-9075.

Way back on March 20, 2008 Jeff Eats told you guys about Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Boca Raton.

Time for a little update on what is definitely one of the best “mom & pop” red sauce Italian joints in South Florida.

For your convenience the “original” story is printed below…gonna save you the trouble of scrolling around.

Anyway,

Just for background, Nino’s opened for business in Boca Raton in 1983-you mathematicians can do the math–for the rest of you-that’s 31 years ago. In something like 2005, it opened a second location in Delray Beach. Partners fall-out, one gets Boca Raton, the other gets Delray Beach. So now you know, the business angle here.

Now-just so we are straight, we are talking about Boca Raton- here. Absolutely-positively nothing wrong with the Delray Beach location–Jeff Eats (1) lives closer to the Boca joint and (2) Jeff Eats thinks that the food, service, ambiance are better in Boca Raton- but trust me Delray Beach ain’t exactly chopped liver either.

Anyway,

Jeff Eats has never “officially” counted the number of times-I’ve eaten in/taken out from Nino’s–but I’m guessing 70 maybe 80, let’s just say it’s a lot. I want to tell you, that not- even- one- time was the food not right on the money–same for the service. Real simple… its soups, salads, pizzas, calzones, subs, pastas, entrees are all delicious. Off the top of my head, I would match Nino’s veal chop parmigiana ($22 soup/salad, pasta side, garlic rolls), its chicken cacciatore on the bone ($17.95 soup/salad, pasta side, garlic rolls), its chicken scarpariello on the bone ($17.95 soup/salad, pasta side, garlic rolls) and its shrimp scampi ($22.50 soup/salad, pasta side, garlic rolls) up against South Florida’s best “mom & pop” and “upscale” players. While I’m on the subject of food, Nino’s plain pizza is always on the money and the joint makes what it calls an “upside down Sicilian” pie that is a work of beauty–if you go, get it!

You maybe wondering why the sudden “gushing” about Nino’s?

Last night, Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and some dear friends- ate dinner at Nino’s and we got to discussing “various” Italian joints–and like a bolt of lightening–it hit me as to how really good Nino’s stuff is! Just that simple! Real fast-right off the top of you head, other than Nino’s–name a “mom & pop” red sauce Italian joint that does chicken cacciatore and chicken scarpariello on the bone…you do know, that’s the only RIGHT WAY to make those dishes–but that’s just my take-on the-thing!

You can check menu/prices at www.ninosofboca.com.

Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant is open 7 days a week 11am-10pm.
*****
March 20, 2008
***** Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 7120 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 392-9075—&—13900 South Jog Road, Delray Beach, Florida 33445, (561) 499-3988

Nino’s is one of my favorite “mom and pop” Southern Italian joints in South Florida. I could be going out on a limb here, but I think that after you have tried this joint, you will also become a big fan.

Just so you know, the Boca Raton location has been around for something like 25 years…the Delray Beach location has been in business for about 3 years. Over the years, I have eaten in the Boca location something like 30 times and the Delray location twice…although the menus are almost identical, I like the food, ambiance and service in the Boca restaurant better…call me a creature of habit, but I really feel at home when I enter the Boca joint…from the way I am greeted at the front door, to Nino the owner waving and talking from behind the pizza counter to the customers…the food and service in Delray Beach is just fine, but there is something “special” about the Boca location.

Although Nino’s seemingly “follows” the standard pattern…Soup or salad, garlic rolls, entree with a pasta side…this joint makes some of the most delicious dishes and pizza that you have ever eaten. I would personally match its veal chop parmigiana—bone in chicken cacciatore— bone in chicken scapriello—shrimp scampi entrees against any Italian restaurant down here in South Florida.

Like I said before, Nino’s has been around for something like 25 years. The Boca Raton joint is jammed for dinner 7-days a week and has a takeout business that seems to be never ending. The Delray Beach spot has also developed quite a following…but my heart belongs to the Boca joint. Both joints are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

Great food. Great service. Pizza joint prices…

By the way, Nino and his wife Josephine own Josephine’s Italian Restaurant which is located on Federal Highway in Boca Raton. That’s a story for another day…but Josephine’s is a very good “white table cloth” joint.

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday- 5/31/20- Slicers Hoagies).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

THE SLICER
(Ham, Turkey & Roast Beef
Round Roll $7.35 / 8″ Small $8.70 /pictured 12″ Large $11.70)

Slicers Hoagies
13020 Livingston Road
(239) 280-0703
slicershoagies.com
Latest Review: 1/22/19

Straight-up, I’m telling you guys that- Slicers Hoagies is one of the best hoagies- sandwich joints in Florida. Off the chart delicious stuff!

Posted on January 22nd, 2019

***** Slicers Hoagies, 13020 Livingston Road, Naples, Florida 34105, (239) 280-0703.

Got a real good sub joint (sorry, I meant to say- hoagie joint) for you guys to checkout, Slicers Hoagies in Naples.

Real simple tale to tell you guys…order/pickup at the counter, table seating, hoagies/ sandwiches/ wraps/ salads menu, open 7 days a week 10am-8pm.

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats “discovered” Slicers Hoagies something like a week-ago and I gotta tell you that the joint’s reasonably priced stuff was absolutely delicious. Just between you guys and Jeff Eats, in my day- I’ve eaten in my fair share share of sub joints (I mean hoagie joints) and trust me, Slicers Hoagies’ food is right-up there with the best I’ve had in Florida, not to mention, New York, New Jersey Connecticut, etc.

If you live, work, play in Naples- you gotta give this joint a shot! The bet here- is that you won’t be disappointed!

You can check menu/prices/info at slicershoagies.com.

* national Hamburger Day- May 28th, 2020.

I know that you guys know- that today is a very sacred day- that being National Hamburger Day.

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, there are a plethora of restaurant burger-deals out there…so take off those masks or at least lower them and go eat-in/takeout/get delivered some burgers- and for good measure, throw in some fries!

This contest started on 5/26/20. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $20 Fran’s Chicken Haven Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $20 Fran’s Chicken Haven Gift Card to give to one of you guys!

The game- the first 20 “reader-comments” received – will be entered in a “blind hat pick”! You can submit as many comments as you’d like but- Please, only 1- reader comment – per day…play fair!

The $20 Gift Card is good at Fran’s Chicken Haven, 1925 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, florida 33432, (561) 395-0781.

You can check menu/prices at franschickenhaven.com.

Posted on March 13th, 2019 ·

***** Fran’s Chicken Haven, 1925 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 395-0781.

Let’s just call this tale a “2019-Public Service Announcement”….

Just a quick observation- You guys do know that most cardiologists don’t know dick-about fried chicken!

In any event…

If you “need” to eat absolutely off the chart-dynamite fried chicken (like Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats needed to do last night), read on…

Posted on December 28th, 2015

***** Fran’s Chicken Haven, 1925 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 395-0781

Let’s just call this- a Jeff Eats’ “Certain Things Bear Repeating” story…

Jeff Eats just has to laugh- when the Sun Sentinel seemingly “year after year crowns” PUBLIX FRIED CHICKEN the best in South Florida! There is an old Irish saying- “Give Me A Fu@king Break.”

Long story short, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have been- on and off (see below-as to why “on and off”) “taking-out” fried chicken and “various” sides from Fran’s Chicken Haven in Boca Raton for something like 23 years!- and I gotta tell you -that this joint’s fried chicken/sides are absolute dynamite! Trust Jeff Eats on this one – trying to rank the “best” in the food reviewing game- is a dumb no win game…with that in mind, what I do know, is that Fran’s fried chicken is off-the-chart good and that after you eat it- you will never-want to voluntarily buy or eat Publix fried chicken ever again!

If you want to eat outrageously delicious fried chicken…Fran’s Chicken Haven is a must try.

You can check menu/info at franschickenhaven.com.

Posted on July 5th, 2013

***** Fran’s Chicken Haven, 1925 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 395-0781.

Got something terrific for you…

That’s assuming that you aren’t a “follower” of NYC Mayor Bloomberg–in that you don’t need “Big Brother” (and no, I’m not talking about Janis’ group) to tell you what you can and can’t eat…

Real fast… from 1964-2000 a woman named Fran (thus the name Fran’s Chicken Haven) and her husband Joe, operated a “hole-in-the-wall” fried chicken joint—Fran’s Chicken Haven in Boca Raton. Maybe 3 tables and 4-5 counter seats. In a nutshell, amazing fried chicken and assorted sides. In 2000 the couple retired and sold the business—for the past 12-13 years Fran’s has had 3-maybe 4 different owners who slowly but surely wrecked the business. Jeff Eats may not be the sharpest pencil in the box, but I do know that when something ain’t broke, you don’t try and fix it…one owner changed the batter-mix and added latin sides, another made the joint a kosher chicken restaurant-closing on Friday nights and all day Saturday—hopefully you get the picture.

Since Fran and Joe sold the joint, Jeff Eats who had previously been a real-steady customer, has maybe picked-up chicken 7 or 8 times in the ensuing years.

Now the news…two brothers- Jake Stuart (aged 19) and Chris Stuart (aged 32) both born and bred—Boca Ratonians—bought Fran’s a month or so ago…and have literally “brought” it back to where it was taste-wise during the Fran & Joe era. How does Jeff Eats know all this? Because…Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats ala Marvin Gaye heard it through the grapevine—and yesterday, picked up an 8 piece fried chicken, French fries, onion rings, fried corn nibblets order—and I gotta tell you, the food tastes just like we “remember” Fran making it…the “boys” told us that the sale/purchase of the business had included all of Fran’s original recipes and that they had visited with Fran and Joe (who still live in Boca Raton) to get a feel on how to run the joint.

Let me leave you guys with this…if you like fried chicken, fries, onion rings, fried corn nibblets—-then you gotta get over to Fran’s Chicken Haven.

One final thought…

Jake and Chris— When the crowds start pouring in, which they will—don’t even think of renaming the joint- Stuart Brothers Chicken Haven or some such variation!

Down below is the original June 20, 2006 Jeff Eats’ review for Fran’s Chicken Haven:

***** “Fran’s makes some of the best fried chicken that you have ever tasted. This joint has been around something like 40 years and is an absolute hole in the wall. Basically a take-out joint, there are a few tables and a counter for those who want to “dine in.” FRIED is the word here…shrimp, corn, french fries, onion rings. Everything is absolutely delicious.

Don’t tell your cardiologist about this joint.

Fran’s is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.”

This contest started on 5/20/20. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $30 The Habit Burger Grill Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $30 The Habit Burger Grill Gift Card to give to one of you guys…

The game- the first 30 “reader-comments” received – will be entered in a “blind hat pick”! You can submit as many comments as you’d like but- Please, only 1- reader comment – per day…play fair!

The $30 Gift Card is good at any The Habit Burger Grill location (habitburger.com for locations/info)- and can be used for any purchase!

* Happy Memorial Day- 2020!

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday- 5/24/20- J & C Subs).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

N.Y. METS SUB (12”-$9.99)
(chicken cutlet/pastrami/pepper jack cheese/jalapeño/onion/honey mustard)

J & C Subs
1015 Southwest Bayshore Boulevard
Port Saint Lucie
(772) 336-9485
jnc-subs.com
Latest Review: 6/12/18

This N.Y Mets Sub is off the chart delicious.

Just so you guys know- in addition to its 12” sub J & C Subs- makes a 6” version that runs $6.29.

Posted on June 12th, 2018

***** J & C Subs, 1015 Southwest Bayshore Boulevard, Port Saint Lucie, Florida 34983, (772) 336-9485.
Found a real good sub joint for you guys to checkout- J & C Subs in Port Saint Lucie.

Real simple concept at work here, order/pickup at counter, one 2 seat table inside, delicious reasonably priced salads/soups/6” & 12” hot & sold subs/wraps, nice sized selection of can-bottled beers/can-bottled sodas/bottled wines.

Long story short, yesterday- Jeff Eats was in Port Saint Lucie doing some business with some guys…the three of us picked up some subs for lunch and “shared” them in the conference room that we were working in.

Let me wrap-up J & C Subs by saying- that our eyes were way bigger than our stomachs! Trust Jeff Eats when I tell you, that the combination of J & C’s delicious subs and terrific beer/wine selections- made for a real pleasant lunch!

You can check menu/prices/info at jnc-subs.com.

J & C Subs is open Sunday 11am-5pm, Monday-Saturday 10am-7:30pm.

This contest started on 5/19/20. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $25 Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Gift Card.

Jeffrey Eats got a $25 Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Gift Card to give to one of you guys…

The game- the first 25 “reader-comments” received – will be entered in a “blind hat pick”! You can submit as many comments as you’d like but- Please, only 1- reader comment – per day…play fair!

The $25 Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Gift Card is good for slot play, dining, entertainment and spa. The Gift Card cannot be used to purchase casino chips.

Seminole Casino Coconut Creek
5550 NW 40th Street
Coconut Creek, Florida 33073
(954) 977-6700
Info: seminolecasinococonutcreek.com