* Happy 4th Of July!

I recently read this story by Heinrich Böll. It’s simple, yet profound.

——-

An American businessman was standing at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish.

“How long did it take you to catch them?” The American asked.

“Only a little while.” The Mexican replied.

“Why don’t you stay out longer and catch more fish?” The American then asked.

“I have enough to support my family’s immediate needs.” The Mexican said.

“But,” The American then asked, “What do you do with the rest of your time?”

The Mexican fisherman said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds you could buy a bigger boat, and with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, and eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats.”

“Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the consumers, eventually opening your own can factory. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But senor, how long will this all take?”

To which the American replied, “15-20 years.”

“But what then, senor?”

The American laughed and said, “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions, senor? Then what?”

The American said slowly, “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.

This contest started on 7/3/19. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $10 Jet’s Pizza Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $10 Jet’s Pizza Gift Card to give to one of you guys…

The game- the first 10 “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 $10 Gift Card is good at any Jet’s Pizza location (jetspizza.com for locations, menus, prices, info).

* Miller’s Ale House, July 4th, 2019, 50% Discount For Active Military.

Nice “offer”…

Check millersalehouse.com for locations/menu/prices/info.

Florida

Orlando Metro Area

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS – ALTAMONTE SPRINGS, FL
LAKE BUENA VISTA – ORLANDO, FL
ORLANDO AIRPORT – ORLANDO, FL
ORLANDO I – DRIVE – ORLANDO, FL
WINTER GARDEN – WINTER GARDEN, FL
WINTER PARK VILLAGE – WINTER PARK, FL

Palm Beach Metro Area

BOYNTON – BOYNTON BEACH, FL
GARDENS – PALM BEACH GARDENS, FL
JENSEN BEACH – JENSEN BEACH, FL
JUPITER – JUPITER, FL
PORT ST LUCIE – PORT ST LUCIE, FL
Tampa/St. Petersburg Metro Area

BRANDON – BRANDON, FL
SARASOTA – SARASOTA, FL
SEMINOLE – SEMINOLE, FL
ST. PETE – ST. PETE, FL
TAMPA AIRPORT – TAMPA, FL
TAMPA USF – TAMPA, FL
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Metro Area

CORAL GABLES – CORAL GABLES, FL
CORAL SPRINGS – CORAL SPRINGS, FL
DAVIE – DAVIE, FL
EAST BOCA – BOCA RATON, FL
FT LAUDERDALE – FORT LAUDERDALE, FL
HOLLYWOOD – HOLLYWOOD, FL
MIAMI DORAL – DORAL, FL
MIAMI FALLS – PALMETTO BAY, FL
MIAMI KENDALL – MIAMI, FL
MIAMI LAKES – MIAMI LAKES, FL
PEMBROKE PINES – PEMBROKE PINES, FL
WEST BOCA – BOCA RATON, FL
Fort Myers Metro Area

FT MYERS – FORT MYERS, FL

FT MYERS ESTERO – FORT MYERS, FL
NAPLES – NAPLES, FL

Jacksonville Metro Area

JACKSONVILLE SOUTHSIDE – JACKSONVILLE, FL
ORANGE PARK – ORANGE PARK, FL
————
Miller’s Ale House (Boca Raton)
Posted on March 24th, 2016 · American Boca Raton

***** Miller’s Ale House, 1200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 988-9142.

Jeff Eats is gonna take a shot here and “think” that you guys know what Miller’s Ale House is! If not- sports bar chain that currently has 51 joints in Florida, 1 in Georgia, 2 in Illinois, 1 in Maryland, 1 in Massachusetts, 2 in Nevada, 3 in New Jersey, 6 in New York, 1 in Ohio, 4 in Pennsylvania. You can check millersalehouse.com for locations/menu/prices/operating hours/info.

Way-back on July 12, 2008 Jeff Eats told you-about the Miller’s Ale House in Jupiter, Florida. In 2008 I described the joint’s food as being okay and perfectly priced! That tale is reprinted down-below.

If you guys can keep a secret, since that 7/12/2008 tale printed (until this past Monday) Jeff Eats hadn’t been back “to” a Miller’s Ale House. No particular reason, just hadn’t been back!

Long story short, this past Monday- Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats, Son Jeff Eats and Daughter Jeff Eats ate dinner at the Miller’s Ale House on Yamato Road in Boca Raton- and I gotta tell you, we had an absolutely great-time. Rather than bother you guys telling you -that this location has a separate bar area/booth/table seating, more flat screen tvs than you can count, a covered out door patio with its own bar, a menu loaded with appetizers- burgers- salads-wings- entrees- desserts- beers- booze…let me tell you that the fried calamari, chicken Caesar salad, chicken nachos, breaded boneless garlic wings, grilled teriyaki wings, bbq baby back ribs, bacon cheeseburger, onion rings, French fries that we ordered were all delicious.

Look! I don’t know about your family, but getting the members of Jeff Eats’ immediate family to agree on virtually anything- is a monumental task. With that in mind, last night-all four of us agreed that the food killed, that the prices were super reasonable and that the service was as competent/pleasant as could be!

As I mentioned a few seconds ago, Jeff Eats hadn’t been to a Miller’s Ale House in something like 7 1/2 years! All I can tell you guys- the joint was absolute dynamite! If the other 71 Miller’s are like the Yamato Road outpost- you now know about a sports bar “chain” that really has its act together- and is an absolute must try!

Miller’s Ale House is open Sunday 11am-midnight, Monday-Saturday 11am-2am.

Posted on July 12th, 2008
***** Miller’s Jupiter Ale House, 126 Center Street, Jupiter, Florida 33458 (561) 746-7620

Miller’s owns and operates a “ton” and I do mean a “ton” of sports-bars/ale houses in South Florida. Check millersalehouse.com for locations/menu/prices/hours.

Miller’s joints all take on a local name…in Boca Raton, the joint is the Boca Ale House…in Jupiter the joint is the Jupiter Ale House…in Coral Springs the joint is the Coral Springs Ale House…so on and so forth.

Over the years, I have eaten in a number of Miller’s South Florida locations…my most recent meal being in the Jupiter Ale House 3 weeks ago. All of the Ale Houses look alike…big bar area, tvs galore, small game room, wood booths. The menus are the same…tons of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and entrees…something for everybody. Just so you know, the food is okay- not great…(operative word) OKAY… The prices are cheap…that’s the game…like a 20 oz. bone-in porterhouse steak with french fries for something like 10 bucks.

I have to tell you, that every so often, I really enjoy a grizzly-steak covered in grilled onions and french fries drenched in ketchup that costs $9.99…Sort of reminds me of Tad’s Broiled Steaks (you- New Yorkers know what I am talking about) circa 1960.

The Ale Houses are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Like I said, okay food priced perfectly.

By the way…some of you may not know, but Tad’s Broiled Steaks currently has a location at 152 West 34th Street, New York, New York 10001 (212) 630-0318…those were the days.

* National Touring Headliner Comedian- Michael “Wheels” Parise.

All I can tell you guys is that- Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have seen Michael “Wheels” Parise four times and each and every time the “light blue” national touring headliner comedian literally had us peeing our pants from laughing so hard! Trust Jeff Eats when I tell you- that Parise puts on a terrific show!

The Skinny:

National Touring Headliner Comedian- Michael “Wheels” Parise

Friday, July 5th, 2019 (8pm) & Saturday, July 6th, 2019 (8pm)
Boca Black Box
8221 Glades Road #10
Boca Raton,FL 33434
Box Office: (561) 483-9036
Tickets: bocablackbox.com check goldstar.com for discount tickets

from bocablackbox.com

MICHAEL PARISE IS ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S TOP HEADLINING COMEDIANS, HE SPENT A 1 YEAR RESIDENCE AT THE CAESAR’S RIO HOTEL AND CASINO, HIS SHOW “WHEELS LIVE” WAS WRITTEN UP AS THE BEST COMEDY SHOW IN VEGAS BY THE LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL. PARISE WAS THE LAST HEADLINER TO PERFORM AT THE FAMOUS RIVIERA COMEDY CLUB THE CLOSING WEEK WHERE HE TAPED HIS HIT CD, “DRIVING YOU CRAZY”, AVAILABLE IN STORES AS WELL AS ITUNES.

STILL WORKING WITH ANDREW DICE CLAY IN LAS VEGAS AND ALSO HEADLINING THE LAS VEGAS STAGES ON HIS OWN, THE LAUGH FACTORY IN THE TROPICANA, AND THE HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO ARE JUST A FEW OF THE PLACES IN LAS VEGAS WHERE YOU CAN CATCH HIM. PARISE IS CURRENTLY STARRING IN A SHOWTIMESPECIAL CALLED ANDREW DICE CLAY PRESENTS…THE BLUE SHOW, AIRING NOW.
PARISE JOINS THE CAST AS A GUEST STAR IN THE NEW SERIES, “DICE” AIRING ON SHOWTIME. DICE AND WHEELS STILL TO THIS DAY REMAIN BEST FRIENDS AS WELL AS A TEAM ON THE HIT PODCAST, “ROLLIN WITH DICE AND WHEELS” WHICH CLIMBED THE CHARTS TO #1 ON ITUNES, THE SHOW HAS 46 EPISODES OUT AND CAN STILL BE HEARD ON ITUNES AS WELL AS ROLLIN WITH DICE AND WHEELS OFFICIAL SITE PLUS NUMEROUS ONLINE STATIONS WITH DOWNLOADS EXCEEDING 5 MILLION WITH MILLIONS OF SUBSCRIBERS.

WHEN MICHAEL IS NOT ONSTAGE, YOU CAN CATCH HIM AT THE LAS VEGAS ATHLETIC CLUB SIX DAYS A WEEK AND HE CAN ALSO BE SEEN NATIONALLY AS A MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER, TELLING HIS STORY OF HOW HE LOST 150 POUNDS AND IS GOING FROM FAT TO FIT.

UPDATE: MICHAEL RECENTLY WRAPPED A PILOT WITH NICK TURTURRO CALLED “OVER THE HILL” WHERE HE HAS A STARRING ROLL.

* GetBack!

I must be slipping…I thought I’d heard of every Beatles’ tribute act in the business!

GetBack! Two of Us- sounds like a real good one!

Tickets just went on sale…

The Skinny:

GetBack! Two of Us

Sunday, April 26th, 2020 (2pm)

Mizner Park Cultural Center
201 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
Box Office: (844)-672-2849
Tickets: miznerparkculturalcenter.com

from miznerparkculturalcenter.com

This full-fledged recreation of a Beatles concert is as close as you can get!” -Boston Globe

Don’t miss The Beatles’ greatest hits performed by the lead members of the acclaimed GetBack!® Beatlemania, live at the Mizner Park Cultural Center!

The GetBack!® troupe, assembled from the London and Broadway revue Beatlemania, has endeared audiences since 1980 as one of the longest-running Beatles tribute shows in the world, due to its uncanny mimicry and infectious energy.

The cast members of GetBack!® channel the famed mop-tops with UNMATCHED pinpoint accuracy that thrills fans worldwide.

With accurate vintage instruments and dazzling stage visuals, GetBack!® floods two hours with over 40 classic songs, changing costumes as the show travels through the lighthearted British Invasion years to the bittersweet rooftop ending of Let It Be, with several stops along the way.

GetBack!® has so perfected “the live Beatles concert that never was,” said the Boston Globe.

GetBack!® Two of Us faithfully recreates the music and charisma of the most beloved singer-songwriters of our time. You will believe John and Paul have come together!

This contest started on 6/29/19. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $10 IHOP Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $10 IHOP Gift Card to give to one of you guys!

The game- the first 10 “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 $10 Gift Card is good at any IHOP location (check ihop.com for locations/menu/info).

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday- 6/30/19- Burgers & Shakes).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

EVERYTHING

Burgers & Shakes
7401 Collins Avenue
Miami Beach
(305) 866-1145
burgers-and-shakes.com
Latest Review: 4/20/17

I absolutely love Burgers & Shakes!

By the way, in addition to its Miami Beach joint- Burgers & Shakes has a location at…

Burgers & Shakes
3331 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, Florida 33021
(954) 399-8048
Open 7 days a week 11am-2am

Posted on April 20th, 2017

***** Burgers & Shakes, 7401 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33141, (305) 866-1145.

For our purposes we’re gonna call Burgers & Shakes “an out of sight, out of mind” fast food burger joint!

Real simple story, Jeffiut Eats first told you guys about Burgers & Shakes way-back on 6/18/14, truth be told, hadn’t been back since! Just between you guys and Jeff Eats, 7401 Collins Avenue isn’t even remotely close to Jeff Eats’ Boca Raton abode- thus the “an out of sight, out of mind” handle!

Anyway,

Last night, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats did dinner at Burgers & Shakes and like it did in 2014, the joint’s food, pleasant service, reasonable prices-blew us away! Delicious flat top grilled hamburgers/ French fries/ onion rings/ shakes, order-pickup at the counter, inside and outside seating.

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, if you like hamburgers, French fries, onion rings, shakes- you’re gonna like Burgers & Shakes! For you guys not into hamburgers, French fries, onion rings, shakes- the joint has a real good handful of other “stuff” so there’s no way- that your’e gonna starve

By the way, Burgers & Shakes is absolutely perfect for the night owl crowd, as it’s open 7 days a week 11am-4am!

You can check menu/info at burgers-and-shakes.com.

Posted on June 18th, 2014

***** Burgers & Shakes, 7401 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33141, (305) 866-1145.
Hole in the wall fast food hamburger- joint. Very limited indoor/outdoor seating. Order/pickup at counter. Handful of wines, 11 beers on tap/30 or so bottled.

For some reason, today- everybody plays Albert Einstein when it comes to hamburgers. This was too fatty, this was too pink, this was too soft. Enough with the TOOs…trust Jeff Eats on this one, there is way too much analyzing going on. To tell you the truth, I can’t recall the last time I had a burger that was so bad, that Jeff Eats didn’t finish it. For sure, some burgers are better than other burgers-but like 6 degrees of separation they are all kinda related.

Absolutely loved Burgers & Shakes’ flat top grilled cheeseburger, french fries, hot dog, onion rings and chocolate shake.

Not much more to tell you other than the joint is open 11am-4am 7days a week, plays classic rock and its website is www.burgers-and-shakes.com.

This contest started on 6/28/19. This contest has a winner.

* Win A $20 Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza Gift Card.

Jeff Eats got a $20 Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza 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 any Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza restaurant (for locations, menu, info- blazepizza.com).

Posted on March 4th, 2015
***** Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza, 2146 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 923-9353.

Way-back on July 3, 2014 Jeff Eats did a story (reprinted down below) about California based “make your own” pizza chain Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza-and its plans to enter the Florida market…

Long story short, Blaze currently has something like 60 locations nationwide which include 1-in Boca Raton, 1-in Fort Lauderdale. 1-in Gainesville, 1-in Sarasota…locations in Davie, Orlando, Tallahassee, Jacksonville are under construction.

Yesterday, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats gave Blaze’s Boca Raton joint which opened a couple of weeks ago- a shot and I gotta tell you that we were impressed! By the way, the joint has both inside and outdoor patio seating- so you guys with dogs…

Now, nothing for nothing, Henry Ford invented this assembly-line “thing” a hundred years ago, or at least I think he did…and Subway and Chipotle have it down to a science…that said- dough, pick your sauce, pick your toppings- into a stone hearth oven for 3 minutes- pay $5-$10- 11″ pizza delivered to your table!

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats did a Simple Pie (mozzarella, parmesan, red sauce) and a Meat Eater (pepperoni, crumbled meatballs, red onion, mozzarella, red sauce) and like I just said, very impressed. Delicious crust, nice sweet sauce- and it didn’t taste like “fast food”…as good- as most of the full service coal-oven and wood fired pizza joints down here-that bang you for a whole lot more money!

For sure, Blaze has the obligatory salads- but the real game here is pizza.

Trust Jeff Eats, you won’t be disappointed!

You can check the Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza story/menu/locations/info out at blazepizza.com.

Blaze Fast- Fire’d Pizza is open 7 days a week 11am-10pm

One final note, not to sound like a college professor or nothing- but if you check, Jeff Eats has a couple of stories about the “make your own” pizza business- hopefully this “pizza segment” doesn’t mimic the self-serve yogurt craze of just a few short years ago…a word to the wise to potential franchisees and others- THERE ARE ONLY JUST SO MANY OF THESE TYPE JOINTS THAT ANY ONE GIVEN MARKET CAN COMFORTABLY HANDLE!

_____
July 3, 2014
Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza.

Way back on December 29, 2011 Jeff Eats did a story on-the make your own fast food pizza business. If you like, you can read that story, if not, not!

Anyway,

In recent years, a number of “make your own pizza” joints have opened in the United States…you can do the research-there are a ton of franchise operations peddling the concept…right off the top of my head, Uncle Maddio’s, Top That! Pizza, Your Pie, Pie-Ology, Pie-Lingual, MOD Pizza, Pie Five Pizza–if Jeff Eats “gave” it some thought, I’m sure I could up with other-names.

Real simple concept,

You pick your dough, you pick your sauce, you pick your cheese, you pick your toppings…the pizza is “assembled” in front of you at the counter, then cooked and delivered to your table. No brain cancer surgery here, you’ve seen the “assembly line” formula used on subs, yogurt, soft serve, burgers, hot dogs-before.

Just wanted to let you guys know -that Lebron James just invested in a Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza franchise that plans on opening 10 Florida stores…not sure of exact locations, but at least one of these-make your own pizza joints will be in Boca Raton -and plans to be open sometime within the next 6 months. Really know very little about Blaze Fast Fire’d Pizza except that the parent comes out of California and that it currently has something like 25 locations in the western part of the United States with a heavy presence in California.

Can’t resist…I guess that all of that Heat money is burning a hole in Lebron’s pocket.

So,

Let’s keep an eye out for Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza…and see if Lebron knows how to play in the fast food make your own pizza league.

You can follow Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza at blazepizza.com.

***** PB’s Stuffed Burgers, pbsstuffedburgers.com.

Real simple tale…last week, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats gave food-truck, PB’s Stuffed Burgers (which works all over South Florida) a shot and I gotta tell you that its food absolutely killed! Real simple menu- flat top grilled hamburgers, cheeseburgers, veggie burgers, stuffed burgers, chicken sandwiches/ steamed hot dogs/ beef-chicken-veggie bowls/ french fries.

Like I said 2-seconds ago- we’re talking FOOD TRUCK here- you can check schedule/info at- pbsstuffedburgers.com.

* Something Like A Dame Starring Michael Waters As Dame Edna

Tickets just went on sale…

Don’t miss this one!

The Skinny:

Something Like A Dame Starring Michael Waters As Dame Edna

Saturday, November 23, 2019 (7;30pm)
Sunday, November 24, 2019 (2pm)

Mizner Park Cultural Center
201 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
Box Office: (844)-672-2849
Tickets: miznerparkculturalcenter.com

from miznerparkculturalcenter.com

Sequins blaze and punchlines fly as celebrity impersonator Michael L. Walters pays unique homage to one of Australia’s — and the world’s — biggest stars, Dame Edna, in his loving parody, SOMETHING LIKE A DAME! The Diva from Down Under is back like you’ve never seen her before!

We promise you won’t want to miss renowned vocalist and actor, Michael Walters, as he takes the stage by storm in this unique and critically-acclaimed parody of Dame Edna’s fabulous Broadway shows! This fun-filled evening of glamour, music, and side-splitting laughter features incredible glittering gowns, outrageous comedy, original musical numbers, and of course a floral finale with Edna’s signature gladioli! The Show has been hailed as a “Theatrical tour-de-force!”

Walters is sooo good when he dons the “wisteria” coif and rhinestone glasses of Dame Edna, that he received the blessing of Barry Humphries, Dame Edna’s original creator, and appeared with Mr. Humphries at his special 2010 birthday event. Modestly described as “probably the most gifted and talented woman in the world today,” Dame Edna has circled the globe dispensing sage advice and take-no-prisoners comedy to her beloved “possums.”

And now, Walters — who has also traveled the world with his impeccable impersonation — brings his portrayal of Dame Edna to the Mizner Park Cultural Center!