* The 2nd Annual Homebrew Beer Competition.

I’m thinking, catch some nice weather and this thing is gonna be fun!

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats are gonna be there, right after Temple!

I gotta tell you, Mardi Gras Casino must be making a bloody fortune at its machines/tables to be able to hand-out pretzel necklaces and beer all for just 15 bucks!

—–
Press Release
Mardi Gras Casino 2nd Annual Homebrew Beer Competition
Sample 30+ tasty beers from local and Craft homebrewers as they compete to be crowned the best local homebrewer while listening to music and enjoying delicious BBQ! You be the judge for the Crowd Favorite Brew Category!

Radio personality Darlene Evans from KISS Country will be onsite with the station’s promotions team giving away prizes.

WHEN: Saturday, January 17, 2014
2pm-6pm

WHERE: Mardi Gras Casino Trackside
831 North Federal Highway
Hallandale Beach, FL 33009

WHO: Participating Homebrewers
Mannikko Brewing
Maltese Cross Ale Works
Full Stable Brewhouse
403 Brewing
Invasive Species
Hopaholics Homebrew Club
Alberta Brewing Company
Torres’s Home Brew
Brunner Brewing
Draftsman Brewing
Barley Works Brewing
And more…

Mardi Gras Casino offers over 70,000 square feet of casino excitement featuring over 1,000 of the hottest slot machines, including Progressive slots, virtual roulette and blackjack, as well as The Dog Pound, Mardi Gras’ smoker-friendly slot area; 30 action-packed poker tables; simulcast and greyhound racing; entertainment; and various dining options. For more information, call 954-924-3200 or visit www.mardigrascasinofl.com. Become a fan on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/mardigrascasino or follow us on twitter at http://www/twitter.com/MardiGrasFl.

* A Bronx Tale Starring Chazz Palminteri

You think I’m funny? Leave the gun take the cannoli. Look how they massacred my boy… I know- wrong-gangster, whatever!

Long story short, don’t miss this show- it kills (pun intended)!

*****
Release:
A Bronx Tale Starring Chazz Palminteri Set for Seminole Casino Coconut Creek Thursday, February 26, 2015
Tickets on Sale Friday, December 26
The hit play, “A Bronx Tale,” starring actor Chazz Palminteri, is coming to The Pavilion at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek on Thursday, February 26, 2015, at 8 p.m.
Tickets priced at $45/$65/$80 will go on sale Friday, December 26, at 8 a.m. via Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com, or by calling1-800-653-8000.
A New York City native, Palminteri originally wrote the script for “A Bronx Tale” for the stage and performed it as a one-man show in Los Angeles. It premiered in 1990, achieving great critical success. He then moved the show to New York City where it had a successful off-Broadway run.
“A Bronx Tale” tells the story of Cologero Anello, a young boy from a working class family who gets involved in the world of organized crime.Cologero’s father is a bus driver who tries to instill working-class family values in his son. As Cologero gets older, the aura and mystique of the Mafia, and the charms of Sonny (the local mob boss who befriends Cologero and ends up becoming a father figure to him), become difficult to resist. As Cologero comes of age, he must struggle with the choice of following his beloved father’s values or submitting to the temptations of a life in organized crime.
Academy Award winning actor Robert DeNiro helped turn the play into a movie, which premiered in 1993. Palminteri starred opposite DeNiro, who chose the script for his directorial debut.
Palminteri has more than 50 movies to his credit including “The Usual Suspects,” “Analyze This,” “Mulholland Falls” and “Bullets over Broadway,” for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

* Jeff Norris.

Jeff Norris, one of America’s funniest “clean” comedians is scheduled to appear on Sunday-January 4th at 8pm-Kings Point in Delray Beach.

Jeff Eats has seen the guy in action and he kills!

Kings Point-Delray Beach allows non-residents to purchase tickets to its shows. Tickets are available at kingspointdelray.com.

Just so you know, 5 minutes ago I picked up 2 tickets online -and there were still a handful of really good seats left. I”m telling you- the guy will have you pissing your pants- Let’s leave it at that!

By the way, Norris is also scheduled to play Century Village/Pembroke Pines on 1/3/15, Century Village/Boca Raton on 1/6/15, Century Village/West Palm Beach on 1/7/15. Norris is co-headlining those shows with Joe Starr- another terrific “clean” comedian…Ticket sales are limited to Century Village residents “ONLY”…

Sunday, January 04, 2015, 8:00 PM

JEFF NORRIS
SHORE LAUGHTER
Sunday, January 4th, 8:00 PM
$12.00 Residents
$17.00 Non – Residents

OK, so there is this guy who lives in Brick. He’s an actor recently seen in the film “Not Fade Away”. He has played a police officer on TV and many other roles during his as yet unheralded career. Perhaps the best role he has been given is that of Comedy Fundraising Machine. Jeff Norris has entertained crowds with his classic impressions, his perfect comic timing and his genial nature that just makes you want to like him. In a world of manufactured comedians and artists, he is the real thing – working in the trenches of comedy performing wherever he goes. When you walk into a Jeff Norris show you may have bills, stress or sorrow on your plate. When you leave you take nothing with you but your hurting cheeks, the tears in your eyes from the constant barrage of stories and one-liners and a feeling that you have just seen something special. For a good evening of fun and laughter, make sure to mark your calendar for this one.

* A Rose Is A Rose Is A Rose!

Or should I say, An Early Bird Is An Early Bird Is An Early Bird?

If it quacks like a duck…so forth and so on!

* Snowbirds, Snowflakes, Others!

Real simple column for you guys…a reprint of Jeff Eats’ “Snowbirds’ 2014-2015 List!-that appeared on October 9, 2014.

Enjoy!

—–
October 9, 2014
* Snowbirds’ 2014-2015 List!

Saw an interesting thing yesterday…4 tractor-trailers loaded with cars with license plates from New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania-unloading in Boca Raton. Just guessing here, but Jeff Eats is thinking that some of you snowbirds, snowflakes or whatever name you go by-are getting a really early jump this year.

With the above in mind, I trotted out -First Trimester- a “story” that Jeff Eats did on August 23, 2014 that gave you a list of joints that you might like to try-while down here in sunny South Florida. That First Trimester thing is reprinted below.

As an early welcoming gift, I’m throwing you another bunch of restaurants-that are worth checking out…

Just so we are straight, the Jeff Eats’ site has a ton of dynamite joints listed, so don’t let these two- sets of picks cloud or limit your thinking! By the way, there are full reviews on all of the named restaurants- which will give you more color…

Basilico’s Original Hand-Tossed Pizza/Italian/Wellington.
Genco Old World Italian Sandwiches/Subs-Salads/Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Thick & Thin Restaurant & Pizzeria/Italian/Boca Raton.
Tavolino Della Nonna/Italian/Coral Springs.
American Coffee Shop/Breakfast-Latin/Oakland Park.
I Love Tacos Restaurant & More/Mexican-fast food/Pembroke Pines and Weston.
Athena By The Sea/Breakfast-American-Greek/Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.
Time To Eat Diner/Breakfast-American/Tequesta.
Jack’s Hollywood Diner/Breakfast-American/Hollywood.
Shindig Irish Pub & Restaurant/Irish/Port Saint Lucie.
S&S Diner/Breakfast-American/Miami.
*****
* First Trimester!

Now I know- that it maybe a bit early for some of you “snowbirds” to be thinking about your upcoming trip-to Florida…but before you blink your eye, that trailer truck will be picking-up your car.

With that in mind, Jeff Eats “cooked up” (pun intended) a list of joints that you “should” checkout when you are down here. There are no rankings, there are no best this or that, just a good “handful” of restaurants that I think you will really enjoy. Name/Type/City-County are listed, you’ll have to look up full reviews/locations on Jeff Eats.

For you newcomers-to Jeff Eats…the site has a ton of joints for you to look-at…the ones listed today are right off the top of my head (this morning)…so cruse around jeffeats.com to get a feel for-where-my-head is and for other ideas/picks.
*****

Chris’ Taverna/Greek/Lake Worth.

Nexxt Café/American/Miami Beach.

Big Pink Restaurant/Breakfast-American/Miami Beach.

Green’s Pharmacy/Breakfast-Lunch/West Palm Beach.

Zinger’s Delicatessen/Delicatessen/Boca Raton.

Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant/Italian/Boca Raton.

Hong Kong City BBQ/Chinese/Tamarac.

Yakko-San Restaurant/Japanese/North Miami Beach.

Charm City Burger Company/Fast Food/Deerfield Beach.

Tom Sawyer Restaurant & Pastry Shop/Breakfast-Lunch/Boca Raton.

Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill/American/Fort Lauderdale.

Uncle Lui’s Restaurant/Hungarian/Sunrise.

Ruven’s/Breakfast-Delicatessen/Delray Beach.

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria/Italian/West Palm Beach-Palm Beach Gardens.

Rock N Roll Ribs/BBQ/Coral Springs.

Matteo’s Restaurant/Italian/Boca Raton-Hallandale.

Luca Bella/Italian/Aventura.

Granger’s Bar & Grill/American/Delray Beach.

Eagle Grill & Oyster Bar/American/Greenacres.

Fish Shack/Seafood/Pompano Beach.

Tarks Clam Stand Of Dania/Seafood/Dania.

Barone’s La Pizzeria/Italian/Margate.

Dune Deck Café/Breakfast-Lunch/Lantana.

Mrs. Smokeys Real Pit Bar-B-Q/BBQ/Lake Park.

* Frankie Valli.

Recent e-mail from reader Allie H…

Jeff,

My mom and dad are celebrating their 40th anniversary next month. My dad is 67 and my mom is 64.

My husband and I were thinking of buying 4 tickets to see Frankie Valli who is playing the Hard Rock on 1/30/15 and dinner as a present.

They have been big Four Season’s fans for years, have never seen Valli in a live performance and loved the Jersey Boys’ show and movie.

What do you think?
____

Allie H:

First congrats to your parents.

To be perfectly honest with you, today’s Frankie Valli literally can’t sing a note. Trust Jeff Eats when I tell you, his once great- voice is now TOTALLY SHOT!

Personally, I wouldn’t waste my money on tickets. I really think that you and your parents would be very disappointed!

Based on their ages…How about buying tickets instead- for Motown The Musical-which is currently set for a 2/24/15-3/8/2015 run at the Broward Center For The Performing Arts?

Hope this all helps!

***** Uncle Lui’s Restaurant, 8318 West Oakland Park Boulevard, Sunrise, Florida 33351, (954) 749-1908.

I don’t know about you, but watching all of this North Korea “hacking” stuff on tv–got Jeff Eats pining-for the old country- Brooklyn, New York.

With that in mind, Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and another couple-who very conveniently for this story-are originally from/and also pining for the old country–had a recent dinner at Uncle Lui’s a Hungarian joint in Sunrise. For you Sherlock Holmes type guys- Jeff Eats reviewed Uncle Lui’s on 1/1/2007 and your sleuthing will find- that today is 1/1/2015- so you can do the math, if you care to- and Happy New Year!

Long story short, the 1/1/07 review is re-printed down below. In all seriousness, Jeff Eats could care-less as to where you were born and raised… Brooklyn, Chicago, Montreal, Cleveland, Malmo, Copenhagen, Brazzaville, Santiago, Ho Chi Minh City…once you eat this joint’s potato pancakes, veal gulash, wiener schnitzel, roast duck, apple strudel-your gonna be like Judy Garland (no, not all drugged-out) in The Wizard Of Oz- “There’s No Place Like Home, There’s No Place Like Home.”

Just as it was on 1/1/2007…Uncle Lui’s Restaurant is an absolute must try.

You can check menu/prices at uncleluisrestaurant.com.

The joint is open Wednesday-Sunday 4pm-8pm (its got “early birds” up the wazoo).
—-
January 1, 2007
***** Uncle Lui’s Restaurant
8318 West Oakland Park Boulevard
Sunrise, Florida 33351
(954) 749-1908

One of your 2007’s New Year’s Resolutions should be, to eat dinner at Uncle Lui’s Restaurant a HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT in Sunrise, Florida.

Uncle Lui’s is a my kind of a joint: 1. It is a hole in the wall, which has tables and booths covered with vinyl tablecloths. 2. It is owned and opererated by the Bodnar Family (father, mother, son and daughter) who I assume are of “Hungarian decent.” 3. The food is terrific.; 4. The portions are enormous; 5.The service is terrific. 6. The prices are ‘dirt-cheap.”

Uncle Lui’s is open Wednesday-Sunday for dinner. Just so you know, this is not an “undiscovered” joint, so be smart and make sure that you have a reservation, because if you don’t you “ain’t” getting in. From what I can figure, the Bodnars basically have three seatings, 5pm, 6:30pm and 8pm, but at times this “seating” thing doesn’t exactly run like clockwork (then again if I recall “my” history, it’s the Swiss that make the timepieces and not the Hungarians.)

Just a heads-up: You can order ala carte at Uncle Lui’s, but the way-to-go, is by ordering one of the 15 price-fixed dinners on the menu. These dinners are priced between $11-16 and include soup or salad, entree, one side dish, coffee and dessert. In addition, every meal comes with a complimentary appitezier of potato pancakes and “family style servings” of creamed spinach and red cabbage.

A recent dinner, allowed me to sample 4 entrees: roast duck, veal goulash, chicken paprikash and chicken francese. I am telling you, the food was terrific and the doggy-bags were loaded.

Try this joint.

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* WAWA.

As the late Sy Syms use to say…”An educated consumer is our best customer”…

With that in mind, Jeff Eats’ best readers are you-guys who “know” what makes a joint (and I don’t mean that kinda joint) great! Between you and me, I can only fool you guys for just so long, if you know what “you” are talking about! Truthfully, Jeff Eats would rather have smart-readers than a bunch of lemmings reading my words of wisdom!

In 2015, Jeff Eats will do his best to find some real-cool joints for you guys to try…I already got a list of “to try” joints set-to go for 2015.

Anyway, kill some time and…

Take a look at this convenience store chain-WAWA (wawa.com).

Really don’t know too much about it, but from what I hear-it currently has close to 800 gas/convenience store outlets along the eastern seaboard- (a whole bunch in Orlando/Tampa area) and that its stores make/have amazing- FOOD!!!! Now you and I both know, that “convenience” store food is usually a bunch of CRAP-that you buy when you are DESPERATE, HUNG OVER- or stuck travelling on some highway! Long story short, guys that Jeff Eats knows and trusts tell me, that Wawa has amazing subs, salads, soups, sushi (go figure!), coffee and other takeout stuff. Now nothing for nothing, when these guys “rated” Wawa’s food as being as-good as some of the stuff served-up by my favorite joints…I figured Wawa was a joint- I gotta follow- and maybe you should too!

Like I said a few seconds ago, don’t know all that much about the chain, but I’m also hearing that WAWA has MAJOR EXPANSION PLANS that include South Florida.

This should- be a real interesting story to follow.

To paraphrase Sy Syms…”The best Jeff Eats’ reader is an educated reader.”

Happy New Year and I’ll catch all of you guys in 2015!

* Kevin Costner & Mountain West.

Long story short,

Actor Kevin Costner now- fronts a countrified-Rock n Roll band called…Kevin Costner & Mountain West. The band plays a mixture of new stuff and oldies -hit covers.

On Saturday Night- February 28, 2015 the group is scheduled to “headline”-the Florida Strawberry Festival in Plant City.

Mr. Costner is a way better actor, (forgetting about that Waterworld -disaster) than he is a lead singer. As a matter of fact, if Mr. Costner wasn’t Mr. Costner, no one in their right mind would pay to see Kevin Costner & Mountain West.

If you don’t believe Jeff Eats- checkout kevincostnermodernwest.com. If after visiting kevincostnermodernwest.com you still don’t believe Jeff Eats, you can visit flstrawberryfestival.com for tickets to see Kevin Costner & Mountain West- and a number of terrific music-acts like Alabama and Sawyer Brown that will-also be appearing at the Festival- February 26-March 8, 2015.

* Rex Smith Confessions Of A Teen Idol.

I’m thinking- who the hell is Rex Smith?

Maybe Ricky Nelson! Maybe David Cassidy! Maybe Fabian!- Rex Smith?

Maybe you know better-than-“me”…so, if you want to “see” Rex Smith here’s a way to get tickets…