***** Chi-Town Italian Beef & Chicago Hot Dogs, 324 East McNab Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 951-6471.

Got a real good one for you guys…Chi-Town Italian Beef & Chicago Hot Dogs, a mom & pop (in this particular case Monica & Louie)- hole in the wall, order/pickup at counter, handful of inside tables & window counter seats/two tables outside, Chicago hot dogs, Italian beef, sausages, hot/cold subs, salads, pizza, soft serve/shakes joint- that’s been in business for something like 2-weeks!

Chi-Town is the kind of joint that Jeff Eats loves to “find”-namely, a mom & pop-hole in the wall that serves up dynamite reasonably priced food!

Last night- Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats “stumbled upon” Chi-Town and the food was off the chart delicious! For the inquisitive, the “stumbled upon”- was actually what proved to be a terrific recommendation from Jeff Eats’ friend Anthony B. who’d eaten there earlier in the day…

Let Jeff Eats wrap Chi-Town up for you guys, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats really enjoyed the joint! Assuming- you’re not a fancy schmancy- the bet here is that you’ll also be a fan!

You can check menu/prices info at Chitownresturant.wixsite.com/chitownresturant (hey! I told you it was a mom & pop hole in the wall joint!).

Chi-Town is open Tuesday–Sunday 11am-10pm, close Monday.

* WalletHub 2016’s Best & Worst Foodie Cities.

Here’s some information for you guys- that might come in handy the next time you’re a contestant on Jeopardy!

| Oct 11, 2016

Best and Worst Foodie Cities for Your Wallet
There are people who eat and people who eat recreationally. For that second group, good food is like a drug: The more they enjoy, the harder it becomes to say no. But like any expensive habit, an insatiable palate can strike a hard blow to the foodie’s finances. Americans today spend nearly a third of every food dollar on restaurant services. And in 2015, the National Restaurant Association reported that Americans spent more money at food establishments than at grocery stores.

But foodies with strong taste buds don’t limit themselves to eating out. Dining in can be equally satisfying — and costly. Fortunately, some of America’s culinary hotpots are sympathetic toward their cash-strapped epicures and offer plenty of affordable options. These wallet-friendly cities cater to foodies who prefer to concoct their own scrumptious creations at home, sample unique flavors of the local gastronomy or both.

With Oct. 16 being World Food Day and Americans spending more money at food establishments than at grocery stores in 2015, the personal-finance website WalletHub took a close look at 2016’s Best & Worst Foodie Cities.

To find the best and cheapest foodie scenes in the U.S., WalletHub compared the 150 most populated cities across 21 key metrics, ranging from “cost of groceries” to “affordability and accessibility of high-quality restaurants” to “number of food festivals per capita.”

Best Foodie Cities
1 Orlando, FL
2 Portland, OR
3 Miami, FL
4 Tampa, FL
5 San Francisco, CA
6 Cincinnati, OH
7 St. Louis, MO
8 Salt Lake City, UT
9 Richmond, VA
10 Seattle, WA
Worst Foodie Cities
141 Garland, TX
142 Fayetteville, NC
143 Jackson, MS
144 San Bernardino, CA
145 Aurora, IL
146 Fontana, CA
147 Montgomery, AL
148 Grand Prairie, TX
149 Moreno Valley, CA
150 North Las Vegas, NV

Best vs. Worst

Laredo, Texas, has the lowest grocery cost index, 79, which is two times lower than in Honolulu, the city with the highest, 158.9.

Orlando, Fla., has the most restaurants per 100,000 residents, 1,176.38, which is 9.8 times more than in Santa Clarita, Calif., the city with the fewest, 120.09.

Santa Rosa, Calif., has the highest ratio of full-service restaurants to fast-food establishments, 1.74, which is 3.1 times higher than in Jackson, Miss., the city with the lowest, 0.57.

Portland, Ore., has the most coffee and tea shops per 100,000 residents, 103.92, which is 29.5 times more than in Laredo, Texas, the city with the fewest, 3.52.

Miami has the most gourmet specialty-food stores per 100,000 residents, 117.46, which is 14.5 times more than in Gilbert, Ariz., the city with the fewest, 8.08.

Cincinnati has the most grocery stores per 100,000 residents, 128.29, which is 13.8 times more than in Santa Clarita, Calif., the city with the fewest, 9.32.

San Francisco has the most cooking schools per 100,000 residents, 6.36, which is 28 times more than in Raleigh, N.C., the city with the fewest, 0.22.

To view the full report and your city’s ranking, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522/

***** Uncle Woody’s Popcorn.

Real quick tale to tell you guys…

This past Sunday afternoon- while Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats were shopping in Home Goods (6330 Lantana Rd, Lake Worth, FL 33463, (561) 968-1210)- I came across a popcorn brand that I had never heard of- Uncle Woody’s Popcorn. Being a wise-ass, Jeff Eats immediately saw a “connection” between Uncle Woody’s name and that night’s upcoming debate between Hillary Clinton and Donanld Trump- and I bought (over Mrs. Jeff Eats’ bitching that $4.99 for a 12oz bag was way too expensive) 2 bags of Uncle Woody’s Popcorn!

Anyway,

Let me tell you, this “guy” Uncle Woody makes amazingly delicious popcorn! Trust Jeff Eats on this one, off the chart stuff!.

In checking Uncle Woody’s Popcorn’s website seatlepopcorn.com- it appears, that here in Florida only Home Goods, TJ Max and Marshall’s retail the Uncle Woody’s Popcorn line!

Like I said a few seconds ago, Uncle Woody’s Popcorn is absolutely delicious!

Just between you guys and Jeff Eats, I really enjoy popcorn- especially caramel popcorn! No bs-here, Uncle Woody’s Popcorn is as Donald Trump would say “big league.”

For more info on Uncle Woody’s Popcorn check- seatlepopcorn.com.

* 2016- Feast Of Little Italy.

Over the years, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have been to this “one” a number of times.

Always a terrific time…delicious food, loads of craft/merchandise vendors, rides & games, outstanding live entertainment.

This year’s Feast Of Little Italy is set for Friday-Sunday…November 4th, 5th, 6th.

For info- feastoflittleitaly.com.

from feastoflittleitaly.com

Nov 4th, 5th & 6th

Actor, Comedian, Musician & Singer, from Saturday Night Live & Hit Movies, The One & Only;
JOE PISCOPO.
Making His Feast Debut,Finalist from NBC’s America’s Got Talent, SALVATORE VALENTINETTI
Back by Popular Demand; The Legendary
TOMMY MARA & THE CRESTS
Franco Corso, Maria De Crescenzo, Lou Villano, Elio Scaccio, Vincent Lanciano And So Many More!!!! — with Vinnie Lanciano.
.

EVENT TIME
November 4th – 3:00pm to 10:00pm
November 5th – 10:00am to 10:00pm
November 6th – 10:00am to 8:00pm
BENVUNITI
Come and enjoy all the food, music, fun and activities that await you, your family and friends at the 14th Annual Feast of Little Italy
ADMISSION
Admission $7.00
FREE for Children 12 & Under
Location: Downtown Abacoa

***** Trump-Clinton #2.

Tell me that Jeff Eats isn’t ready for tonight’s debate!

Sorta like watching a 90 minute B-comedy horror movie!

In no particular “eating” order…or is it disorder?

And- to cleanse the palate…

For the curious- Goobers (Walmart-$2.98), Raisinets (Walmart-$2.98), Crush Grape Soda (Walmart-$1), Jet’s Pepperoni Pizza (Jet’s Pizza-$11.47), Uncle Woody’s Butterscotch Popcorn (Home Goods-$4.99), Uncle Woody’s Himalayan Sea & Caramel Popcorn (Home Goods-$4.99), Twizzlers Black Twists (Walmart- $2.98), Lindy’s Homemade Lemon Italian Ice (Walmart- $2.43).

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday- 10/9/16).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

EGG MEAT CHEESE BAGEL SANDWICH
$5.99

Big Bite Bagel & Deli
5369 Lyons Road
Coconut Creek
(954) 418-7100
bigbitebagelanddeli.com
Latest Review: 1/11/16

No ifs, ands or buts- one of the best bagel joints in Jeff Eats’ Florida bagel joint universe!

Just between you guys, Jeff Eats picked the Egg Cheese Meat Bagel Sandwich to get the conversation going, but trust me, the joint’s potato pancakes ain’t no slouches either!

Posted on January 11th, 2016

***** Big Bite Bagel & Deli, 5369 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073, (954) 418-7100.

Got a real good bagel-deli joint for you guys, Big Bite Bagel & Deli in Coconut Creek. For your file, delicious food, hefty portions, booth/table seating, reasonable prices, very pleasant-competent service. Big Bite is open 7 days a week 6:30am- 3pm. Menu/prices/info bigbitebagelanddeli.com.

Now, you guys know or should know that over the years, Jeff Eats has eaten in his fair share of South Florida bagel-deli joints – running the gamut from dynamite to pump my stomach!

With the above in mind, I’m gonna make this tale real sweet and simple, Big Bite Bagel & Deli is right up there with the best bagel-delis that I’ve eaten in/taken out from in South Florida. A recent outing had Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats eating in- western omelette, sausage/American cheese/scrambled egg sesame bagel sandwich, French toast…and taking out- 1/2 lb of tuna salad, 1/2 lb of chicken salad, 1/2 lb whitefish, 1/2 lb of pastrami, 1/2 lb of corned beef, 2 potato knishes, 2 kasha knishes, 1/2 dozen mixed bagels and I gotta tell you, everything was right on the bagel-deli money!

Like I said 3 seconds ago, Big Bite Bagel & Deli is right up there with the best bagel-delis that Jeff Eats has eaten in/taken out from in South Florida! Trust me on this one, if you live or work in Big Bite’s neighborhood, you wanna eat its stuff!

Big Bite’s menu is printed down below…as you can see- it’s loaded with everything your cardiologist eats when he/she is alone!

* Cecilie’s Gourmet Italian Ices Coming To Boca Raton.

Jeff Eats is hearing that sometime in the next 3-weeks- Coral Springs’ “hole in the wall” Cecilie’s Gourmet Italian Ices is set to open a second joint-at 1799 NW 2nd Avenue in Boca Raton, (561) 571-1281…that’s assuming that the Boca Raton Building Department (or whatever its exact name is) doesn’t bust Cecilie’s balls over some nonsense!

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, if you live/work in Boca Raton and you like Italian Ices, Soft Serve, Gelati- Cecilie’s is an off the chart absolute must try!

Posted October 12, 2014
***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday-10/12/14).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

ITALIAN ICES
$2.50+

Cecilie’s Gourmet Italian Ices
19726 Wiles Road
Coral Springs
(954) 753-2727
ceciliesices.com
Latest Review: 3/17/13

No bs-ing here…every time I go to Cecilie’s I get agita-the joint has so many amazingly delicious home made water/cream ices- that I get agita- trying to decide which ones to get.
Trust Jeff Eats, before you fork over your $2.50+, you’ll get agita too!

Posted March 17, 2013
***** Cecilie’s Gourmet Italian Ices, 19726 Wiles Road, Coral Springs, Florida 33076, (954) 753-2727.

Let me start by saying, that one of Jeff Eats favorite “desserts” is (or is it- are?) Italian Ices. I’ve been hooked on the stuff, since my Brooklyn days, when I would get a large cup ($.10) at the pizza joints in my neighborhood—1 scoop cherry/1 scoop lemon. Not sure when the “hooking” first took hold, but I do have a black & white photo of me-holding a squeeze cup of ices in the Summer of 1953.

Anyway…

I’m really pissed at myself, because “big ears” Jeff Eats didn’t hear about Cecilie’s Gourmet Italian Ices until yesterday afternoon. Amazingly, this joint has been around for something like 20 years.

Cecilie’s is located in the “ultimate” bombed-out South Florida shopping strip center. When you go there, get directions first, because the store is a real hole in the wall and give or take 1-or 2 other stores you’d never-ever think of going to this center. This center is so decrepit, that Cecille’s can’t run a a simple soft-serve yogurt/ice cream machine–because there isn’t enough electrical power running to the store.

Despite the aforesaid…

Cecilie’s makes some of the most delicious Italian Ices that Jeff Eats has ever eaten. ALL OF THE ICES ARE MADE IN THE BACK OF THE STORE. The joint has 48 flavors, four of which are sugar free (Mrs. Jeff Eats appreciated that). In speaking with Evan the owner, every day (give or take) he rotates 4 flavors in and out of the lineup…24 of the flavors are cream ices and 24 are water ices.

Let me make this one short and sweet (pun intended)…

I “sampled” 12 different flavors— cherry, pistachio, oreo cookies, jelly roll chocolate, coconut, lemon, peanut butter, cotton candy, carrot cake, honeydew, chocolate mint chip, birthday cake. Do you know what a “pig in sh@t” is? Well Jeff Eats was. Cecilie’s makes some of the best ices I’ve ever had. Just so you know, during the 1/2 hour or so Jeff Eats was there (starting at 3:30pm) at least 20 people came and went and everyone of them “tried” all kinds of ices before settling-in with a final purchase. Figure a small cup is gonna run you- 3 bucks.

A bit more “color”…the owner Evan, is about 44 years old–born in Brooklyn and raised in Philly. He opened this store 20 years ago and makes all of the ices all-by-himself. This is what Jeff Eats calls a one-man-show…Cecilie’s is open Monday 3pm-10pm, Tuesday-Thursday 1pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday 1pm-11pm, Sunday 1pm-9pm…Evan is the sole counter person Monday-Saturday, he takes Sunday-off when he has a couple of young ladies run the store. By the way, Cecilie’s has a couple of tables inside and 1 table outside so if you want–you can hang-out.

Like I said a few seconds ago, I can’t believe that I “missed out” on 20 years of Cecilie’s…

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, This joint’s Italian Ices are about as good as it gets.

***** Burgers & Suds, 360 East McNab Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 586-4258.

Jeff Eats has been telling you guys about Burgers & Suds for years.

Last night- Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and two other couples ate dinner there- and I gotta tell you that all of us were blown away by the delicious food! Just so you know, the two couples were Burgers & Suds’ “first timers” and in addition to the food itself- couldn’t believe how big Burgers & Suds’ portions were and how reasonable its prices were!

With the above in mind, Jeff Eats is telling you again, that Burgers & Suds is an absolute must try!

The best way to describe Burgers & Suds…a dive bar which serves reasonably priced delicious food!

Trust Jeff Eats, you gotta try this joint!

Posted on March 11th, 2015

***** Burgers & Suds.

No fooling here, at least once or twice a week (would you believe once every 6 weeks?)- Jeff Eats gets “asked” something like- What’s your best burger place down here?

You regular readers “know”- that I’m really not into “best” lists…that said, I just ate lunch at Burgers & Suds and (once-again) the joint blew me away.

Printed down below are a bunch of Jeff Eats’ Burger & Suds “stories”…if reading old junk isn’t your game, just skip it- real fast, those stories just summarize- as to how terrific the food is!

I am telling you, that this joint is an absolute must try! Everything that Burger & Suds makes-from burgers to wings to salads is dynamite!

Burgers & Suds is an absolute “dump”- a “dive”- with some of the most amazing and delicious food in South Florida!

Like I said 2 seconds ago, a must try!

Posted on August 27th, 2014
***** Burgers & Suds, 360 East McNab Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 586-4258.
Received the following email last night…
Jeff,
My wife and I recently moved because of business from Atlanta to Pompano Beach.
Simply put, we are real foodies. We love to try all types of restaurants and foods.
We are huge Guy Fieri and Adam Richman fans. Like Guy and Adam we are really into what Guy would call DIVES.
Read about you and JEFFEATS.COM in Boca Life Magazine.
Your site seems to have loads of DIVES. You seem like our type of guy.
How about starting us new Floridians off with a great DIVE that does burgers, wings, fries, onion rings and sandwiches?
TOM L
*****
Tom L:

Welcome to South Florida.
Give Burgers & Suds a shot.
For what it’s worth Guy Fieri calls them DIVES…Jeff Eats calls them JOINTS! You know- I say TOMATO and you say tomato!
For your reference, I have reprinted previous Jeff Eats’ Burger & Suds “stories.”
Trust me, you’re not the first “foodies” that I have recommended this joint to.
Just so you know, Jeff Eats loves Burgers & Suds…the food is- as Guy Fieri would say, OFF THE CHART!
Let me know what you guys think-of this DIVE- I mean JOINT!!!!!
_____
May 10, 2014…
Burgers & Suds, 360 East McNab Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 586-4258.
There are only 3 things in life that are certain…
1. Death
2. Taxes.
3. After Jeff Eats buys a stock it goes down.
Anyway,
In past stories (Rev. 7/13/13 & 2/21/14) Jeff Eats told you guys about Burgers & Suds- a terrific full service burger joint that made absolutely delicious burgers/hot dogs/flat breads/wings/salads/sandwiches–back then, Burgers & Suds was a hole-in-the-wall on Commercial Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.
To make a long story short,
Three days ago, Burgers & Suds moved to a new location, 360 East McNab Road, Pompano Beach, (954) 586-4258. The new spot seats something like 110 inside and 20 outside…it has a small beer/wine bar that seats maybe 10.
Now please pay close attention…
Last night Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats ate at Burgers & Suds and I am telling you–this joint is going to be a HOME RUN…actually, make that a GRAND SLAM. The cheeseburger/char-grilled hot dog/french fries/sweet potato fries/grilled chicken wrap/bacon wrapped chicken wings–were terrific. Trust Jeff Eats, the stuff coming out of Burgers & Suds’ kitchen is in a whole ‘nother league from what most South Florida burger/American Style restaurants are serving. Just that simple.
Try Burger & Suds…my money says that you’ll love it!
Jeff Eats’ articles dated 7/13/13 and 2/21/14 are reprinted below.
Burgers & Suds is open 7 days a week 10am-10pm.
You can check menu/prices at www.burgerssuds.com.
_____
Posted on February 21st, 2014
* Burger & Suds.
The other day Jeff Eats received the following e-mail…
Hey Jeff,
My wife and I recently moved to Fort Lauderdale and came across your site when we were looking for restaurants to try.
You really have a load of reviews and we enjoyed reading about many of your picks.
We are very new to the area so we are just getting our feet wet in finding places to go and could use some help.
For starters, what in your opinion is the best relatively unknown ‘hole in the wall’ that does salads, burgers, sandwiches?
Thanks,
JN
****
JN:

Printed below is a July 13, 2013 story that Jeff Eats did on Burgers & Suds located in Fort Lauderdale. You can check menu/prices at www.burgerssuds.com.

Jeff Eats absolutely loves this joint.
No question in my mind, that Burger & Suds is one of the best “hole in the walls” in South Florida.
The food is amazing.
Burgers & Suds (Fort Lauderdale)
Posted on July 13th, 2013 · American Breakfast Fort Lauderdale Pizza
***** Burgers & Suds, 261 East Commercial Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33334, (954) 772-8007.
You guys can thank me later!
Last night, Jeff Eats ate at Burgers & Suds…for our purposes- let’s call it an “American-Style” hole-in-the-wall that serves salads, burgers, wings, pizzas, sandwiches/wraps, tacos/burritos, Saturday-Sunday breakfast. The name Burgers & Suds is a bit deceiving…for sure, the joints- got 13 different burgers and something like 10 different bottled beer brands—but as I mentioned 2 seconds ago, there is a load of other “items” to stuff your face with.
Before I get into what I “tried”—let me tell, if you want to eat some outrageously good food—then you gotta go to Burgers & Suds. By the way, the joint has only been open…5-months.
I think you guys know by now, that Jeff Eats has eaten in his fair share of South Florida restaurants. Trust me on this, Burgers & Suds’ food is heads and shoulders better than most of the joints that I have been to.
Just so you know, Burgers & Suds looks like an absolute “dump” inside and outside…the inside has a bar that seats maybe 6 and 3 hi-tops that seat 9—the awning covered outside patio has a handful of tables with seating for 24…do the math—we are talking a total of 39 seats for the whole joint.
Before Jeff Eats goes any further, let me tell you that Burgers & Suds is my kinda of a joint or shall I say dump? I seriously doubt that most people looking at Burgers & Suds for the first time-would even consider eating there…
I’m sure, that you-know the old saying…”Don’t judge a book by its cover”—well, Burgers & Suds could be the poster-child for that famous line.
Last night, Jeff Eats’ party of-4 “had”…honey garlic wings (10 wings $8.95), Greek salad ($5.95), 1/2lb cheeseburger with onion rings ($8.95), chicken wrap with sweet potato fries ($7.95), 10″ margarita pizza ($7.95), lamb burger with French fries ($10.95) and the food was amazingly good. No fooling around here, I would rate the cheeseburger right up there with the best that I’ve had ANYWHERE. Let me go as far and say—every item that we had was terrific and could hold its own against South Florida’s best of breed.
Burgers & Suds was a rare find. This joint isn’t some-guy throwing pre-formed frozen burger patties on a grill…the joint is supplied daily by a local butcher shop…hamburgers are charbroiled while lamb burgers are flat-top grilled—salad dressings are made in-house. The back-of-the-house really knows how to “cook” and portion size/price points tells me that a real “pro” is running Burger & Suds.
For right now, I’m thinking-that not too many people know about this joint- but, I’m willing to bet you a breakfast/lunch/or dinner–your choice, that this anonymity won’t last too much longer. There is no way that food like this—doesn’t find a gigantic audience.
For you “drinkers”–in addition to 10 bottled beer-brands, Burgers & Suds has a handful of wines by the glass/bottle…
For you “sports people”– there are 2 big flat screen tvs inside and 1 big flat screen outside.
Not to be too repetitious or nothing—but I’m telling you, you gotta try this joint!
You can check www.burgerssuds.com for menu/prices.
Burgers & Suds is open for lunch/dinner Monday-Friday 10am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-9pm (breakfast 8am-noon).

* New Year’s Eve- Billy Joel In Concert.

You and 21,37O of your closest friends…

* Simply Tina, The Ultimate Tina Turner Tribute Show.

If you’re a Tina Turner fan, you will absolutely love Simply Tina, The Ultimate Tina Turner Tribute Show!

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have seen the show twice- trust me, you will be thoroughly entertained!

Jeff Eats just checked the Boca Black Box- Box Office and there is only a handful of tickets left for this coming Saturday Night’s show, so…

If you wanna go- the suggestion here is to lineup tickets NOW…as Simply Tina sold-out the Boca Black Box in October 2015 and January 2016!

Simply Tina, The Ultimate Tina Turner Tribute Show
BOCA BLACK BOX
8221 Glades Rd #10, Boca Raton, FL 33434
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2016 (8pm)
8:00 PM — 10:00 PM
TICKETS: 561 483-9036 bocablackbox.com, goldstar.com (discount tickets)

from bocablackbox.com

SIMPLY TINA IS BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!
Simply Tina is a world class Tina Turner tribute show composed of talented musicians, singers & dancers. Simply Tina is a full live band – no lip syncing, no backing tracks! All singing & every note is performed live. Our lead singer, Karena Korokous, transforms herself into Tina Turner on stage. The band has incredible stage presence and your audience will love our, dynamic concert style rock n roll show as we pay tribute to the talented Tina Turner with hits such as Simply The Best, What’s Love Got To Do With It, River Deep Mountain High, Golden Eye, Under Cover Agent for the Blues as well as her dynamite remakes of songs such as Proud Mary, Hot Legs, Addicted to Love, Disco Inferno and more.
Simply Tina is much more than just band playing the hits. Simply Tina reproduces the glitz, glamour, music, singing, dancing and the overall concert feel of a live Tina Turner concert.