* 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.

<

* 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…

***** Peking Duck House.

A recent e-mail from reader LBV…

Jeff,
You and I have something in common. We were both born in Brooklyn in 1949. I attended Lincoln HS and Brooklyn College. My wife and I lived in Lawrence NY for over 40 years and we moved to Pompano Beach last Spring.

I recently heard about your site and love your style.

Give this old Brooklyn guy a really good Chinese restaurant in my neighborhood.

Thanks for reading…

*****

LBV:

My father went to Lincoln H.S.

On your Chinese joint request…take a look at Peking Duck House in Pompsno Beach.

I have reprinted my Peking Duck review (6/23/2008)…just so you know, since that review- the restaurant had a total remodel- and in the handful of times that I’ve eaten there since the review, the food was exceptionally good. Just so you know, my last Peking Duck House outing-was in early November, 2014.

Thanks for reading…
—
Peking Duck House (Pompano Beach)
Posted on June 23rd, 2008 · Chinese Pompano Beach

***** Peking Duck House, 1200 East Atlantic Avenue, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 946-0436.

I know…I know…it is virtually impossible to find a good Chinese joint down here.

For what it is worth, The Peking Duck House serves pretty decent food.

This joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. It has been around for years and the food is actually quite good. Specialty of the house?…I’ll give you 2 guesses.

Just so we are straight… the food is good but it won’t make you forget about your favorite New York City Chinatown joint…I will tell you, that the Peking Duck is right on the money, as are the bbq spare ribs.

***** Sicilian Oven, 21170 Saint Andrews Avenue, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 750-9772.

Here’s another one of those “out of sight out of mind” joints for you… wood fired pizza-Sicilian Oven.

Printed down below is a- Jeff Eats’ review from March 14, 2009. When you read that write-up, you’ll notice that the joint being “discussed” was the first- Sicilian Oven that had “just” opened in Lighthouse Point…since that review appeared, Sicilian Oven has also- opened joints in Aventura, Coral Springs and most recently Boca Raton.

Long story short, last night Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and two other couples ate dinner at the Boca Raton restaurant. Stuff ordered- Sicilian salad (large $11), wood oven roasted chicken wings (large $17), large- Nona’s Square Pizza ($22-thick crust/mozzarella/pomodoro sauce), large- The Bianco Pizza ($17-parmesan/romano/ricotta/mozzarella- and I gotta tell you, everything was A-OK! Now you know and I know that “pecking orders and nitpicking” aren’t really my game-but I must tell you that the Sicilian salad (romaine lettuce/roasted peppers/walnuts/olives/vine ripen tomatoes/red onions/garbanzo beans/celery/shaved parmesan cheese/creamy house dressing) was one of the most delicious salads that I’ve had in a very long time…while I’m doing this, I liked The Bianco Pizza better than the Nona’s Square Pizza and the chicken wings were good but could have used more seasoning/and the bread that came with them-I’ve had much better. Not that it really matters, because I’m Jeff Eats and they’re-not- but the other 5 in my party all agreed on the salad, the pizza “rank” and the little tweaks needed by the chicken and bread!

As you can well imagine (then again, maybe you can’t) Jeff Eats- eats-out/takes-out quite a bit…every so often a joint just falls through the cracks. Let’s just say that Sicilian Oven was one of those casualties-and trust me, my loss! Its food is very good and “all in” the bill was a super reasonable 80 bucks.

You can check menu/prices/locations/info at sicilianoven.com.
_____

March 14, 2009
***** Sicilian Oven, 2486 North Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064.

Got an absolutely terrific “wood fired Italian” joint for you…Sicilian Oven, located in Lighthouse Point.

Gave this joint a shot last night and got-to tell you, that the food is dynamite. The menu is packed with appetizers, salads, pastas, ciabattas, wings and pizzas. My “taste test” (somebody has to do it)… sicilian salad ( a combination of mixed greens, roasted peppers, roman tomatoes, red onions, garbanzo beans & something like 5 other ingredients), wood oven roasted chicken wings, wood fired pizza, “no pasta” lasagna (eggplant & vegetables), meatballs and fried calamari…everything was delicious.

Sicilian Oven is owned by two guys, Andrew and Ralph. From what I can tell, Andrew “handles” the action in the open-kitchen and Ralph “handles” the dining area. Although the joint was packed, these boys were efficiently cranking-out some heavy duty orders. Sicilian Oven is a real modern looking joint, with just enough flat-screen tv sets to make it interesting for sports-afficianados. The prices are neighborhood “pizza joint” prices. Service is excellent & your tee shirt/shorts’ ensemble will work here.

Just so you know, although Sicilian Oven has only been open for something like 4-months, it already has a loyal-following… Giving credit where credit is do, Sun Sentinel food critic Judith Stocks gave the joint **** (four stars: excellent) on March 13, 2009…so, old Jeff Eats can’t claim to be the “discoverer” of this one…as a matter of fact, it was Stocks’ review that alerted me to this joint.

Give Sicilian Oven a try, it really is that good. For menu/prices, check its website www.thesicilianoven.com.

Sicilian Oven is open Monday-Saturday 11:30am-10pm and Sunday 4pm-10pm.