* The Cheesecake Factory: Time To Properly Train Your Managers!

This is an OPEN LETTER To The Cheesecake Factory’s Board Of Directors:

Rather than going into detail- suffice it to say, last night in your Boca Raton location Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and 2-other couples had an absolutely lousy dining experience, ranging from dirty silverware, dirty seating, lousy food, lousy service…

This morning, Jeff Eats had a phone conversation with the Boca Raton GM…who in essence explained to me that “these things happen” because of how busy the restaurant is at this time of the year!

I ask the Board Of Directors…

WHY SHOULD YOUR PROBLEMS BECOME MY PROBLEMS?

1. If you can’t handle the business, close the fu@king doors and stop seating people.
2. If you can’t handle the business, tell me-that before you seat me.
3. If you can’t handle the business, tell me-that before you seat me and offer me a discount for the upcoming “your problems.” I can then decide if I want to play or not!

YOUR PROBLEMS AREN’T SUPPOSE TO BE MY PROBLEMS and you’d better start training your managers as to- how to handle your business, because trust me, if I’m pissed, others are too!

Last but not least, train your managers to treat your customers as if the customers were the only thing that matter, because we are!- and don’t play us for fools, because, trust Jeff Eats, we aren’t! By the way, the TOO BIG TO FAIL THEORY doesn’t apply to restaurant chains!

Printed down below is Jeff Eats’ April 29, 2009 The Cheesecake Factory “review”- and as you can see, I USE TO BE A HUGE FAN OF THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY!

Not sure, Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats or our friends will ever be back!

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The Cheesecake Factory (Fort Lauderdale)
Posted on April 29th, 2009 · American Desserts Fort Lauderdale

***** The Cheesecake Factory, 600 East Las Olas Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 (954) 463-1999.

I’ m gonna go out on a limb here…and guess that you guys know what The Cheesecake Factory “is”…for those that don’t, a “Casual American-Style” joint.

The Cheesecake Factory has been around for something like 30 years and has restaurants all over the United States…for the record, there are 14 in Florida. Just off the top of my head, I know that within the past 2-years I have eaten in Cheesecakes in Aventura, Boca Raton, Coconut Grove, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Palm Beach Gardens and Miami. My latest “outing” was last night at the Las Olas location.

I call The Cheesecake Factory the “go to place.”…like when you need a real good meal–real good prices–real good portions–real good service. Take a look at this joint’s website www.thecheesecakefactory.com for menu/prices/photos/locations. The menu is something like 12-million pages long and trust me on this, you will absolutely positively find something to eat…appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, meat/seafood/chicken entrees, desserts. Your 5 year old, your teenager, your 97 year old grandma…will all enjoy eating in this joint.

Unless I am getting senile here…the decor in all locations is identical (Mayan Indian meets Inca Indian meets Horoscope)…same goes for the menu. How they do it is beyond me, but the waiters/waitresses are the most competent and pleasant group going. Let’s put it this way, The Cheesecake Factory is one of the “top” players in the casual-dining sector.

Over the years, I have eaten sliders, chicken pot stickers, meat loaf, grilled chicken, fried cheese, cobb salad, eggs…and of course cheesecake. This is just a partial-list…and let’s just say, I have never had a bad meal.

If you have eaten in The Cheesecake Factory…you know that I “speak the truth” when I tell you, that this a terrific restaurant. Big meal-small meal, dessert…this joint has you covered.

Like I said before, my last Cheesecake outing was last night at 6pm at the Olas location…had tickets for the 8pm performance of The Jersey Boys at the Broward Center. Great sliders and pot stickers with a Fresca. By the way, you don’t want to miss that-show.

The Cheesecake Factory is open Monday-Thursday 11:30am-11:30pm, Friday-Saturday 11:30am-12:30am and Sunday 10am-11am.

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday- 1/3/16).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

TSUNAMI ITALIAN SUB
$12.75 (whole)

Tsunami Subs & Wraps
309 East Woolbright Road
Boynton Beach
(561) 739-8325
tsunamisubsandwraps.com
Latest Review: 7/9/12

If you wanna eat some top notch hot and cold subs- get over to Tsunami Subs & Wraps. I singled out the joint’s “whole” Tsunami Italian Sub for special attention, but trust Jeff Eats on this one- everything this joint turns-out is dynamite! By the way, that WHOLE SUB can easily feed 2-! One final piece of business, Jeff Eats “frequents” the Boynton Beach joint- just so you know, there is another Tsunami joint at 109 South State Road 7, Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411, (561) 333-2333.

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Posted 7/9/12
***** Tsunami Subs & Wraps, 309 East Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach, Florida 33435, (561) 739-8525.

Before I get going here…some “searching” came-up with info-that, one of Tsunami’s owners-Frank Merlo- is the son of Vic Merlo who back in the early 1970s along with his brother Frank owned a sub-joint named Mike’s Submarines–which they sold to a guy named Peter Cancro who then in return “grew” the business into the Jersey Mike’s Sub chain.. Now, I know that if I was Vic or brother Frank Merlo…it would have crossed my mind at least 50 times a day for the last 40 some odd years “Why didn’t we just sell that kid-Cancro a piece of the store, instead of the whole thing?” Betcha its also entered son Frank’s mind more than just a couple of times, “If only my father and uncle had just sold 50%, I’d…” Anyway…that’s what’s called a “woulda, coulda shoulda” story and like the Merlos we all got-them.

Last week- I gave Tsunami Subs & Wraps a shot… and I gotta tell you, this joint makes some really-good subs. For the record, I “did” chicken salad–meatball parm–philly cheesesteak subs…soft crusted bread, no skimping on the fillings, three sizes for cold/two sizes for hot.

As you’d expect, Tsunami has the full boat of hot and cold subs…it also has a handful of wraps and salads. You can check menu/prices at www.tsunamisubsandwraps.com.

I know that you guys would love for Jeff Eats to play the old subs-hierarchy game here…As Bush-41 use to say…”Not gonna do it”—or maybe it was Dana Carvey doing Bush 41…anyway, suffice it to say, I definitely would eat at Tsunami Subs again…like I said a few seconds ago, the joint makes really-good subs.

That’s the story here.

The joint is open 7 days a week.

This article first appeared on 12/7/16. Jeff Eats just checked the Clermont Performing Arts Center’s box-office (clermontperformingarts.com) and there’s just a small handful of really good tickets left, so if you wanna go and don’t yet have tickets, time to make your move!

Posted on December 7, 2016
* Jay And The Americans, Dennis Tufano, Bob Miranda.

For you Baby Boomers who maybe wondering- YES, they all can still sing and Jay-#3 absolutely kills it!

Just so you guys know, the Clermont Performing Arts Center- seats something like 1,200 so- figure that this show is gonna be a SRO situation…so- if you wanna go, do what you gotta do!

The Skinny:
Jay And The Americans, Dennis Tufano, Bob Miranda
Friday January 27, 2017 (7:30pm)
Clermont Performing Arts Center
3700 So. Highway 27
Clermont, FL 34711
Phone: (352) 394-4800
Tickets: clermontperformingarts.com. poprockdoowopp.com

Very few bands have ever reached the musical heights of Jay & The Americans with 18 hits and an unprecedented 12 Top 10 records. With three original members (Sandy Deanne, Howie Kane and Marty Sanders) and the powerhouse lead of Jay Reincke, they will perform all their hits – “This Magic Moment”, “Cara Mia”, “Only in America”, “Some Enchanted Evening”, “She Cried”, “Let’s Lock the Door (and Throw Away the Key)”, “Walkin’ in the Rain” and more! If you were at our Pop, Rock & Doo Wopp show in March, you know why Dennis Tufano is back by popular demand! As the original lead singer of The Buckinghams, Dennis had a string of smash hit records including “Kind of a Drag”, “Don’t You Care”, “Susan”, “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” and “Hey Baby! They’re Playing our Song”. If you remember songs like “See You in September”, “Go Away, Little Girl” and “I Got Rhythm”, you’ll instantly recognize the voice of The Happenings’ original lead singer Bob Miranda! Don’t miss this one-night-only reunion of three of the greatest American hit-makers of the 1960s!

***** LaSpada’s Original Hoagies, 2240 Northwest 19th Street, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 393-1434.

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

If you want amazing subs- you gotta go to LaSpada’s Original Hoagies which currently has 5 South Florida locations- Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, Davie, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. You can check laspadashoagies.com for locations/info.

Just between you guys and Jeff Eats, for the past 7 years (at least twice a month) Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have picked-up subs from LaSpada’s- and each and every time we’ve commented to each other- “as to how good” this joint’s stuff was/is! The latest pickup- last night from the Boca joint- large chicken salad, large turkey, large Italian Special!

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, you will love Laspada’s subs- or as it-calls them…hoagies!

________________

Posted August 31, 2014
***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday-8/31/14).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items.

12″ Chicken Salad Sub (Laspada’s calls “them” hoagies)
$9.85.

Laspada’s Original Hoagies
2240 Northwest 19th Street
Boca Raton (there are 4 other South Florida locations)
(561) 393-1434
laspadashoagies.com
Latest Review: 7/18/08

Trust Jeff Eats when I tell you- that 12″ sub can easily feed 3 people. Just between you guys and Jeff Eats, Laspada’s chicken salad is absolute dynamite, but that’s just between us.

Posted July 18, 2008
***** Laspada’s Original Hoagies, 4346 South Grape Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 33348 (954) 776-7893.

Laspada’s is a “sub-grinder-hoagie-heroes”!(or whatever you call them) joint. There are currently 3 South Florida locations…Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Davie and Coral Springs. The Lauderdale joint is the original location…I must have gotten stuff there at least 20 times…I have also been to the Coral Springs location twice…Never been to the Davie store.

The guys who own Laspada’s are “masters” at making phenomenal-fantastic hoagies. Take a look at Laspada’s website at www.laspadashoagies.com for menu/pricing…also take a look at the photos of the stores and sandwiches being made.

If you want to eat absolutely incredible stuff, then you absolutely want to get to a Laspada’s. The joints are open 7-days a week for lunch and dinner. Keep in mind, that there is very limited seating and the game is primarily takeout.

This article first appeared on December 21, 2015. Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats are gonna be there- Just wanted to mention- that I just checked goldstar.com and it has a bunch of discount tickets listed. Trust Jeff Eats on this one, this guy Fogel is a very funny clean comedian- I’ve seen his act a number times and the guy absolutely kills! So if you wanna go, goldstar.com looks like the play here!

* Peter J. Fogel.

Real simple tale to tell you guys- over the years Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats have seen National Headliner Comedian- Peter J. Fogel something like 7-times and each and every time the guy has cracked us up!

The “clean” Fogel is in for 1- night, Saturday, January 2, 2016 (8pm) at the Boca Black Box.

* HAPPY NEW YEAR- 2016!

***** TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli.

A recent e-mail received by Jeff Eats.

Hey Jeff,

My husband and I recently moved to Boca from Philadelphia.

We have eaten in the Too Jays located by Boca Town Center several times and love its food.

I recently came across your Too Jays’ April 28, 2009 review and couldn’t disagree more.

Just curious, have you changed your opinion during the past 6 years?

Anna G

________

Anna G:

The answer to your question is NOPE!

Jeff Eats has eaten in TooJay’s a number of times since that April 28, 2009 “story” first appeared- and I haven’t changed my opinion one iota!

Just so you know, “food reviewing” is nothing but a big game- what I like, you may hate and vice versa. Trust me, there is no right or wrong in this game.

If you like TooJay’s, I got no problem. That said, may I humbly suggest that you try “some” of the other New York Kosher Style Delis/Kosher Delis “mentioned” by Jeff Eats and see if just- maybe I’m onto something- when I tell you that TooJay’s food is nothing great, but nothing too terrible either!

Jeff Eats’ April 28, 2009 “story” is printed- down below…

Thanks for reading…

_______

TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli (Boca Raton)
Posted on April 28th, 2009 · American Delicatessen Boca Raton

***** TooJay’s Original Gourmet Deli, 3013 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33496, (561) 997-9911.

TooJay’s is a “New York Style” deli…which has 27 locations in Florida. If you check its website www.toojays.com in addition to menu/prices you will find a listing of locations.

Just so we are straight…TooJay’s is not a top-notch deli in the same vein as joints like Pastrami Queen, Ben’s Kosher Deli or Pomperdale Deli. Simply put, TooJay’s serves decent enough food at very reasonable prices. Nothing great, but nothing terrible.

Over the past 16 years, I must have eaten in/taken-out from a TooJay’s something like 25-30 times…let’s just say, that convenience more than anything else was the “reason why”…as there are 3- locations all within 5 minutes of my home.

Let’s sum this one up…NY style deli, loads of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, meat/chicken/fish entrees and desserts…decent food…reasonable prices. When I “think” TooJay’s I think white bread…not rye bread.

TooJay’s is open 7 days a week for breakfast-lunch-dinner.

* THE BSTREET BAND.

Buddies of mine in the BSTREET BAND just told Jeff Eats that- the band will be appearing on Thursday, January 28, 2016 (8pm) at the Legends Lounge at the Seminole Casino Coconut Creek (5550 NW 40th Street Coconut Creek, Florida 33073, 1-954-977-6700). The show is complimentary!

If you like Springsteen- you will love THE BSTREET BAND- which is one of America’s top Springsteen “tribute bands.”

If you check the Casino’s website- seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com- you won’t find THE BSTREET BAND listed on the Casino’s entertainment schedule.

You guys now know about “something” that the PUBLIC doesn’t!

Like I said a few seconds ago, if you like Springsteen, you’ll love THE BSTREET BAND- trust Jeff Eats, they are real good!

By the way, if Coconut Creek doesn’t work for you- THE BSTREET BAND is also playing the Hard Rock Café at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Tampa (5223 Orient Rd, Tampa, FL 33610, (866) 388-4263, seminolehardrocktampa.com) on Friday, January 29, 2016 (8pm)- the show is complimentary!

You can check THE BSTREET BAND out at bstreetband.com

***** Brooklyn Boys Pizza & Pasta, 9967 Glades Road, Boca Raton Florida 33434–(561) 477-3663.

Just had- 2 slices and a Coke at Brooklyn Boys Pizza & Pasta in Boca Raton- and I’m kinda feeling a bit “homesick” or maybe “nostalgic” is a better word- for Brooklyn 1950-1960!

Anyway, just between you guys and Jeff Eats, this Brooklyn Boys Pizza joint makes one of the best NY STYLE PIZZAS in all of South Florida. Not too crazy about its pastas, subs and other stuff- but its pizza is off the chart dynamite!- Just so there is no misunderstanding, on the pastas/subs/other stuff “crack”- nothing terrible or nothing, but I wouldn’t be running to Brooklyn Boys, capice!

Jeff Eats has been eating slices/pies at Brooklyn Boys Pizza & Pasta for years-and I gotta tell you that this hole in the wall-is as close to “being like” the 50s-60s pizza joints I grew-up on in Brooklyn as any joint I’ve been to down here in Florida!

For you guys who may-be feeling a little homesick, nostalgic or just looking for a great slice…GO! I promise you- you won’t be disappointed!

__________
Posted February 12, 2008
***** Brooklyn Boys Pizza & Pasta, 9967 Glades Road, Boca Raton Florida 33434–(561) 477-3663.

Yesterday had two delicious slices and a Coke at Brooklyn Boys. This joint is as close to a neighborhood Brooklyn pizza joint circa 1950-1960 that you will find down here in South Florida. You order from a counter and the joint has a few tables where you can sit. I try to get over to Brooklyn Boys at least once a month. It reminds me of the days, when I would stop for 2 slices and a large Coke on my way home from Erasmus Hall High School. Of course, back then a slice cost 15 cents and a large Coke was a dime!

You can check meny/prices/info at- brooklynboysboca.com.

This article first appeared on November 9, 2015. Jeff Eats just checked the box-office and there are just a handful of tickets left for both the 8pm and 10pm shows, so if you wanna go, do what you gotta do, but do it fast!

* Sarge’s New Years Eve Laugh Blast.

Got absolutely no idea as to exactly- what National Comedian Headliner- Sarge has planned! All I know is that Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats are gonna be there for the late-show. The way we got it figured- the combination of Sarge’s hilarious comedy routine- with the music of the legendary Rock N Roll vocalist/bass player- Kasim Sulton of Utopia/Blue Oyster Cult fame- at the intimate 250 seat Boca Black Box in Boca Raton- is gonna be a can’t miss way to celebrate New Years Eve!

The Skinny:

Sarge’s New Years Eve Laugh Blast With Very Special Musical Star Kasim Sulton

BOCA BLACK BOX
8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FLorida 33434
(561) 483-9036
Info/Tickets: $40 (8pm)- $50 (10pm) bocablackbox.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 2015
8:00 PM — 10:00 PM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 31 2015
10:00 PM – 12:30 AM FRIDAY, JANUARY 1 2016

from bocablackbox.com

Sarge’s New Years Eve Laugh Blast with very special musical celebrity guest from Utopia and Blue Oyster Cult Kasim Sulton… Get the LAST LAUGH of 2015!
This night will consist of Live Music, Dancing, Comedy (with all the trimmings), and a midnight toast at the last show!