* Very Sad Day!

“We had gay burglars the other night. They broke in and rearranged the furniture.”

Robin Williams

* IF I HAD TO PICK JUST ONE FLORIDA PIZZA JOINT.

This morning a neighbor of mine, Larry C asked me and I quote…

“Jeff, if you had to pick one Florida pizza joint to get pizza from, where would you go?”

Larry C’s question got me to thinking, that all of this food reviewing-rating-arguing-picking is just a “fun” exercise at best. Like I’ve said 2,030,005 times, what Jeff Eats likes you may hate and vice versa.

Everybody- at least the everybody(s) that I know, has his/her own opinion on everything in life. For crying out loud, I’ve changed my opinion on something, sometimes two or three times in a single day.

I’m not going to name names, but there are some food bloggers and food critics down here and elsewhere, who actually believe some of the crap that they write. The “detail” that they go into when “discussing” this dish and that dish–are mind boggling. What you might find sweet, I might find sour…What you might consider sharp, I might consider bland. Get my drift?

From Day-One, Jeff Eats has always used a 5 Star System…if I would go back to a particular joint- 5 stars, if I wouldn’t- 0 stars–real simple. Just so you know, sometimes when I’ve gone back, the second outing wasn’t as good as the first-so there’ another fly in the ointment for you!

For sure, like you-Jeff Eats has his favorite restaurants and favorite foods and I got my “own” lists–but I guarantee you, that your favorites/lists and mine would/will never exactly mirror each other. By the way, although I have impeccable taste…your calls are as good as mine–it’s just that simple.

Over Jeff Eats’ 8 years–on occasion I’ve bit and actually made lists for you guys…looking back at some of the “calls” not my finest days-

Now to answer Larry C’s question…for today

Original Frankie’s Famous Pizza, 9118 Bird Road, Miami, Florida 33165, (305) 221-0221 (reviewed-4/7/2008).

* Dan Naturman.

The guy is in the “final rounds” of this year’s America’s Got Talent” tv show.

Nothing for nothing, Jeff Eats’ gut says Naturman ain’t gonna win…not that he shouldn’t, but this year just ain’t the year for an absolutely hilarious-brilliant NYC Jewish comedian to win the $1,000,000.00 and get his own Las Vegas Showroom Show. You guys do know that besides being a TALENT SHOW-America’s Got Talent is also a REALITY SHOW–so being brilliant and hilarious sometimes isn’t quite strong enough to bring home the bacon. Now, if Naturman was also a blind paraplegic who had been raised by wolves in Tijuana, Mexico…this story would have a whole different ending.

To make a long story short…

After America’s Got Talent’s season ends…

Jeff Eats expects comedy clubs, condos, country clubs-to be booking Dan Naturman like crazy for 2014-2015…Just because Dan didn’t win, doesn’t mean he isn’t hilarious-brilliant. You guys do remember comedian Tom Cotter who came in second to some dog-act…Tom’s been working pretty steady ever since the loss!

Be smart, go and see THE GUY who should have won 2014’s America’s Got Talent show…when he “hits” South Florida–and Jeff Eats will eat my hat if he doesn’t!

Finally, if Dan Naturman happens to win America’s Got Talent–please forget everything that I wrote above.

You can checkout Dan Naturman at dannaturman.com.

Joan Rivers.

Just announced…

If you want to see one of the funniest comedians of all time-go see Joan Rivers.

This show will sellout- so do what you gotta do!

Joan Rivers
Event Date: Sat, Jan-17-2015
Event Time: 8:00 pm

Onsale: 8/15/2014 at 10:00 am at coralspringscenterforthearts.com

* Best Time To Buy A New Car.

Jeff Eats has a car-lease coming up at the end of August. For the past 30 days or so, I have been “shopping” around for a new car-lease…No bs-ing here, four different dealerships have given me 17 different quotes on the “same” car. Root canal work is less involved and less painful- but I’m not telling you guys anything that you didn’t already know.

Anyway,

This morning I came across the “below” story on autos.aol.com–kinda interesting.

Trust me I know that buying/leasing a car has nothing to do with “food reviewing”- but then again, if you don’t have a car, you can’t drive to a restaurant, or if the takeout delivery guy doesn’t have a car or it’s in the shop-he can’t deliver to your house…sort of like which came first the egg or the chicken!

AND if you don’t have a car, you can’t eat fast food in it and can’t drop french fries down between the driver’s seat and the console…

Let’s just leave it- an interesting article.

*****

Which Month Is The Best Month To Buy A New Car?

Throw out everything you thought you knew about car shopping. According to a big new study from TrueCar, August, not late December as is commonly accepted, is the best month to buy a new car.

New car and truck prices during August over the past five years have averaged $29,296, which is $169 lower than any other month of the year. Average prices in December, according to TrueCar numbers, averaged $31,146, making it actually the most expensive month to buy. The second-cheapest month to buy was found to be July.

“This is a great example of the power of data, which shows dealers are clearing out older inventory in August,” said TrueCar founder and CEO Scott Painter. “Consumer buying trends have been turned upside down during the past decade due to the emergence of big data.”

Conventional wisdom has pointed to December being the best month to buy a car because dealerships are making big pushes to meet year-end sales goals, as well as clearing out old vehicles in order to make room for the next year’s models. This, so the thinking goes, causes them to place big incentives on their inventory. This data, however, turns that type of thinking on its head, suggesting that dealers are in fact doing the majority of incentivizing in the summer.

Other findings from the study should help car shoppers even more in finding a discount. TrueCar discovered that the best day of the week to buy a car is Sunday, which sees an average transaction price of $29,300. Friday is the worst day, with an average transaction price of $31,351. It’s better to shop earlier in the month, too, as the first couple of days see an average of $390 in savings versus the rest of a given month.

* Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen Coming To Boca Raton.

Printed below is a Jeff Eats’ “story ” dated August 13, 2012 about Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen located in Fort Lauderdale.

From what I understand, Tap 42 plans to open a second-location in early -2015 at 5050 Town Center Circle in Boca Raton-the current home of English Tap & Beer Garden. Not exactly sure as to when English Tap closes and Tap 42 starts-“construction”- but Jeff Eats has heard it’s a done deal and Tap 42 is definitely headed Boca Raton’s way.

Now nothing for nothing, since my Tap 42 story ran-Jeff Eats has been back to Tap 42 three times and I gotta tell you, its owners really know how to run a bar/restaurant.

Based on Tap 42’s Fort Lauderdale operation, all things being equal, the Boca Raton-joint should be a GRANDSLAM.

Anyway,

If you haven’t yet tried Tap 42, by all means do so- it’s really that good!
*****
Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen (Fort Lauderdale)
Posted on August 13th, 2012 · American Fort Lauderdale

***** Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen, 1411 Saint Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316, (954) 463-4900.

Now, it’s really not Jeff Eats’ style to bring you guys into his personal-life, but every so often…

Anyway, Steve W. a dear friend for over 40 years has a line that he mutters—”Woof, man these guys went for the cash.” Now for the tie-in…The other night, I gave Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen a “shot.”—and, if Steve was with me, he definitely would have muttered “Woof, man these guys went for the cash.” No question in my mind that the “guys” who own this joint spent some heavy duty money building an absolutely great looking indoor/outdoor patio seating sports-bar. When you check the joint’s site www.tap42.com for menu/prices-you will also find tons of photos-so you’ll have some idea as to what I’m yapping about…or should I say woofing about!

I think, but I’m not really sure- that most of you regular Jeff Eats’ folks know that I’m really an eater not a drinker. If you check, when I talk about bars/restaurants my focus is on the food with an occasional booze mention. Just so you know, Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen’s focus is on beer and alcohol…for sure- there is food, but my gut tells me, that the packed joint I was at, does a hell of a lot more in liquor sales than food sales. I’m gonna let you drink-experts figure this all out, but Tap 42′s name revolves around the number of beers on tap, throw in tons of bottled beers and other liquors and the joint is definitely moving a ton of liquid. You guys may know better, but my money says that beer and wine drinkers are going to love the selection of stuff.

Let’s talk FOOD…like I said a few seconds ago, Tap’s main “gig” is booze, however the joint’s menu has just- enough appetizers, salads, burgers and entrees so us-eaters don’t feel like decorative wallflowers. Jeff Eats’ recent outing had me trying…buffalo style wings, mac & cheese, bacon-cheeseburger, french fries, pan seared Atlantic salmon. Nothing for nothing, the food was real-good. I especially enjoyed the mac & cheese, burger and fries. Just so we are perfectly straight—don’t expect a mulit-page menu of offerings ala The Cheesecake Factory…The prices aren’t sports bar cheap-cheap—but nothing that’s gonna require you to get a second job. Service is sports-bar friendly, whatever that means!

Great looking joint. Great vibe. Drinkers and non-drinkers a-like will love Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen.

Tap 42 Bar & Kitchen is open Monday-Tuesday 11:30am-1am, Wednesday-Thursday 11;30am-2am, Friday-Saturday 11:30am-3am, Sunday 11am-midnight (people do have to go to work the next day!).

Guess Who Jeff Eats Thought Should Have Won?

* TV’s Last Comic Standing Tour 2014.

Jeff Eats has been very impressed with NBC’s Season 8- “Last Comic Standing” tv show. The talent has been awesome and the 5-finalists are all dynamite “comics.” Next week we’ll know who the Last Comic Standing is…

With the above in mind, if you are a fan of the show and would like to see finalists- Rocky LaPorte, Lachlan Patterson, Nicki Carr, Rod Man and Joe Machi live in concert-checkout the “tour list” printed below…

For you not such good readers….

6-scheduled “stops” in Florida.

Last Comic Standing Tour Schedule

SEPTEMBER

16: Tucson, Ariz. Fox Tucson Theatre,

17: Mesa, Ariz. Mesa Arts Center,

18: San Diego, Calif. Balboa Theatre,

19: Riverside, Calif. Fox Performing Arts Center,

20: Reno, Nev. Silver Legacy Resort Casino,

21: Lemoore, Calif. Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino,

24: Baltimore. The Lyric,

25: Mashantucket, Conn. Foxwoods Resort Casino,

26: Boston. The Wilbur Theatre,

27: Worcester, Mass. The Hanover Theatre,

28: Westbury, N.Y. NYCB Theatre at Westbury,

30: Williamsport, Penn. Community Arts Center,

OCTOBER

1: Shippensburg, Penn. Luhrs Performing Arts Center,

2: Bethlehem, Penn. Sands Bethlehem Event Center,

3: Glenside, Penn. Keswick Theatre,

4: Atlantic City, N.J. Golden Nugget Casino,

5: Montclair, N.J. The Wellmont Theater,

7: New Brunswick, N.J. State Theatre,

9: Wilmington, Del. Grand Opera House,

10: Charlottesville, Va. The Paramount,

11: Norfolk, Va. Harrison Opera House,

12: Charlotte, N.C. Knight Theater,

17: Airway Heights, Wash. Northern Quest Resort & Casino,

18: Rochester, Wash. Lucky Eagle Casino

19: Salem, Ore. Elsinore Theatre

21: Colorado Springs. Pikes Peak Center,

22: Denver. Paramount Theatre,

24: Kansas City. Ameristar Casino Hotel,

25: St. Louis. River City Casino,

26: Knoxville. Tennessee Theatre,

28: Clearwater, Fla. Capitol Theatre,

29: Orlando. Plaza Live Theatre,

30: Lakeland, Fla. Youkey Theatre,

31: Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Ponte Vedra Concert Hall,

NOVEMBER

1: Coral Springs, Fla. Coral Springs Center for the Arts,

2: West Palm Beach. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts,

6: Indianapolis. Egyptian Room,

7: Royal Oak, Mich. Royal Oak Music Theatre,

8: Kalamazoo, Mich. Miller Auditorium,

9: Merrillville, Ind. Star Plaza Theatre,

11: Saginaw, Mich. The Dow Event Center,

12: Cleveland. Ohio Theater,

13: Effingham, Ill. Effingham Performance Center,

14: Milwaukee. The Pabst Theater,

15: Prior Lake, Minn. Mystic Lake Casino,

18: New Orleans. Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts,

19: Houston. Bayou Music Center,

20: Dallas. Winspear Opera House,

21: San Antonio. Tobin Center for the Performing Arts,

22: Beverly Hills. Saban Theatre,

***** DISH OF THE WEEK (Sunday-8/10/14).

One of Jeff Eats’ favorite menu items…

Shrimp Scampi comes with soup or salad, pasta side, garlic knots…
$19.99

Barone’s La Pizzeria
5632 West Sample Road
Margate
(954) 968-4396
lapizzeriamargate.com
Last Reviewed: 2/15/14

Terrific entree. By the way the joint’s minestrone soup is dynamite as are its garlic knots, pizzas and just about everything else that it makes!

* Another One Bites The Dust!

Long story short…

Back on December 13, 2013 Jeff Eats did a story on a restaurant name Bistro Gastronomie. You can read the story-below.

In a nutshell, at that time I told the owners that the restaurant they were building was going to fail–citing the reasons. I know it was a callous prediction, but as you guys know-Jeff Eats does his best to always keep things “real” around here. My just talking about what and where I ate-gets kinda boring. Anyway, the restaurant opened and closed a couple of months later.

Today, I am hearing from several good sources-that the “former” French restaurant has new owners, that a small remodel is under-way and a new “French” restaurant with a new name will open sometime in September, 2014.

Jeff Eats wishes the new owners the best of luck.

Here’s an offer that will cost the owners absolutely nothing…

Contact Jeff Eats and I will “tell” you everything I know about the pros-cons of your new project.

Don’t contact me, contact me–no sweat off my brow!

Right now some of you guys maybe saying…Hey Jeff Eats you sure are sounding cocky. To you guys I say…For what it’s worth, for the past 19 years I’ve lived 3-minutes away from the restaurant’s center and kinda think I know the real estate/business environment of the surrounding area. When I “warned” Bistro’s owners- I wasn’t pulling my prediction out of a hat. Nothing for nothing, I also think that Jeff Eats’ 8-years of “reporting” on literally 100’s of South Florida restaurants-just may give me a pretty good perspective on what works and what doesn’t work.

In any event, once again I wish the new owners the best of luck in their new endeavor.

*****
* Bistro Gastronomie (Boca Raton)
Posted on December 13th, 2013 · Boca Raton French · [edit]

* Bistro Gastronomie (Boca Raton).

Let Jeff Eats do a “mitzvah” here…

To the owner of Bistro Gastronomie which is currently under construction at the intersection of Long Lake Boulevard and Yamato Road in Boca Raton…unless you are planning on washing money or something like that in the upscale French restaurant that you have been spending money like crazy on during the past 8 months or-so…stop everything right now and cut your losses.

Now this is just an opinion, but the demographics for the area tells-Jeff Eats that there is no way in hell that an upscale French restaurant in “your” location has any chance whatsoever of making it. The spot that you are building in ~originally housed a Moe’s Bagel joint and Back Street a moderately priced “American-Style” joint-that had 1-2-3-4 owners before finally calling it a day. Now! If “they” couldn’t move enough bagels/coffee or 4-sliders with French fries for $8.95 to pay the rent, then logic tells me -that your braised rabbit ain’t exactly gonna be flying off the shelf-either.

Sorry I didn’t get to you sooner, but I’ve been busy “studying” why the bay two doors down from yours has had something like six different businesses during the past 3-4 years.

Anyway…good luck!
*****
UPDATE: January 13, 2014

This evening Jeff Eats received an e-mail from Bistro Gastronomie’s owner, William Walden. In addition the Jeff Eats’ site received a number of “Comments” from the same William Walden.

Suffice it to say, Mr. Walden believes that his new restaurant- scheduled to open in February is going to be an extremely successful endeavor.

Since Jeff Eats has no skin in-the Bistro Gastronomie game…how the restaurant fares is of no real concern to me.

Jeff Eats really does wish Bistro Gastronomie and Mr. Walden all the best…that said, Jeff Eats stands by his opinions expressed in my 12/13/2013 story.

Mr. Walden’s e-mail is printed below.
From: William Walden
Subject: Bistro Gastronomie
Message Body:
Hello Jeff and Happy New Year! Bistro Gastronomie is slated to open this coming
February. Hopefully you received one of our flyers in the mail this past week. I
just discovered your Blog from a colleague that emailed me the link. WOW. I hope
to get a chance to meet you in the coming weeks and I certainly hope that you
will try my restaurant. Noteworthy is that it has taken an extremely long time
to build out due to the extensive renovations. We plan on being here for years.
Until shortly, Thank you! Executive Chef/Owner William Walden–
This mail is sent via contact form on Jeff Eats http://jeffeats.com

***** Hunan Wok, 407 East Sheridan Street, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, (954) 929-2220.

Got a real-good “mom & pop” eat in/takeout Chinese joint for you…Hunan Wok in Dania Beach.

Using the worn- but extremely accurate “Jeff Eats’ Brooklyn Jewish Chinese circa 1950s Taste Test”-I gotta tell you that I found Hunan Wok’s wonton soup, egg rolls, fried dumplings, boneless pork spareribs, roast pork fried rice, sweet & sour pork, pepper steak, shrimp in lobster sauce all right on the money. Before the “snickering” gets too loud, Jeff Eats shared this recent eat in dinner “feast” with Mrs. Jeff Eats and our friends Nancy and Norman–just wanted you guys to know that I’m not some over-eating slob gorging himself on food-I share!

Now you know and I know that what I like, you may hate and vice versa…with that caveat-I gotta tell you everything was really good.

Look, over the past 8 years Jeff Eats has eaten in a ton of South Florida Chinese restaurants- it would be absolutely absurd to try and assign Hunan Wok a Chinese restaurant ranking number.

Let’s close this one out with this…

If Hunan Wok was by-my-house…I would definitely be a steady eat in/take out customer.

You can check menu/prices at hunanwokdania.com.

The joint is open Monday-Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 11am-10pm (I’m thinking- that the early closing is because they don’t want to miss “Homeland” but I’m just guessing on that).