***** Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas, 12401 International Drive, Orlando, Florida 32821, (407) 238-5000.

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats recently stayed at Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas in Orlando.

Terrific facility. A 2-bedroom “villa” ran us…$211 all-in-per night.

The joint is literally 10-minutes from Universal and 15 minutes from Disney.

Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas …extremely clean, very well maintained facility. The beautiful thing about this joint, it doesn’t try to “take you” for every red cent you got…free parking, free internet- no TRICKS!

Look! What Jeff Eats paid isn’t necessarily what you’re gonna pay. You know how this “game” plays, it all depends on when you go- and how good of a shopper you are!

If you need to be near Universal or Disney or both- this is a good “resort” to know about. By the way, Jeff Eats had a 2-bedroom “villa”- Sheraton Vistana also has 1-bedroom villas which are plenty “large.”

If and when the time arises- you can start your research on Sheraton Vistana Villages Resort Villas at starwoodhotels.com.

Outdoors
BBQ Facilities, Outdoor Pool (all year)
Activities
Tennis Court, Golf Course (within 2 miles), Pool Table, Ping-Pong, Mini Golf, Sauna, Fitness Center, Massage, Hot Tub, Bicycle Rental, Game Room, Playground, Entertainment Staff
Food & Drink
Restaurant, Bar, Snack Bar
Internet
Free! WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.
Parking
Free! Free public parking is available on site (reservation is not needed).
Services
Room Service, Vending Machine (drinks), 24-Hour Front Desk, Express Check-in/Check-out, Currency Exchange, Tour Desk, Ticket Service, Baggage Storage, ATM on site, Concierge Service, Laundry, Dry Cleaning, Meeting/Banquet Facilities, Business Center, Fax/Photocopying, Souvenir/Gift Shop
General
Safe, Shops (on site), Non-smoking Rooms, Facilities for Disabled Guests, Family Rooms, Elevator, Heating, All Spaces Non-Smoking (public and private)
Languages spoken
Spanish, English

***** Eddie Hill’s Sushi & Thai, 134 North Federal Highway, Hallandale, Florida 33009, (954) 454-0023.

It was an American-Style diner from 1949 to 1999…new owner changed the joint into Japanese/Sushi/Thai joint.

Now that-that’s out of the way…real good no-frills/super casual restaurant to catch-guess what at?-Japanese/Sushi/Thai stuff!

A recent dinner “outing” had Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and another couple-doing…chicken udon, teriyaki lobster, deep fried crispy boneless duck, massaman curry-shrimp, tempura seafood, satay chicken, pad kee mao-beef…Now, nothing for nothing, when Jeff Eats-eats in joints like Eddie Hill’s Sushi & Thai…everything kinda tastes like Chinese food to me. So, straight up, I’m telling you that I’m- no expert-on Japanese/Sushi/Thai stuff…but, I do know when something tastes good-and everything that we ordered tasted real-good.

My money- says that most of you guys probably know more about Japanese/Sushi/Thai food than Jeff Eats does…so, I’m just calling it as I “tasted” it. For what it’s worth, Mrs. Jeff Eats and our friends-also enjoyed the food…so you got four people who would definitely “come back.”

While I’m on the subject of “food reviewing”…you guys gotta appreciate that growing up in Brooklyn in the 50’s-60’s Jeff Eats wasn’t exactly exposed to a ton of Japanese or Thai kids-that said, in 6th grade at P.S. 179 I did sit next to a Jehovah’s Witnesses’ kid who shook the class-up when he wouldn’t say The Pledge Of Allegiance…so I wasn’t a totally sheltered kid!

Anyway,

You can check menu/prices/other info at eddiehills.com.

Eddie Hills is open Sunday-Thursday noon-10:30pm, Friday-Saturday noon-11:30pm.

* 6th Annual Treasure Coast Pirate Fest.

Jeff Eats is thinking that this could be a real-fun “outing.”

Just maybe- Johnny Depp and/or Dustin Hoffman (Captain Hook in Peter Pan) show-up!

You can checkout all of the details at treasurecoastpiratefest.com

Taken from:treasurecoastpiratefest.com
The 2015 Treasure Coast Pirate Fest
will feature pirate themed attractions such as a Living History Pirate Encampment, Blackbeard’s Pirate Ship, Mermaids, a Little Buccaneer Kids Zone, Costume Contests, a Treasure Hunt, Pirate Weapon Demonstrations, Live Music and a whole lot more including a highly anticipated Friday night Pirate’s Ball for adult scallywags 18 years and older.
Shop a large assortment of pirate and nautical themed arts & crafts vendors, enjoy some great food and drink and listen to live music as you spend your day in a family friendly setting amongst the pirates, mermaids and wenches.
Admission to the festival is FREE
though a Voluntary $2.00 Buck-N Ear Admission is greatly appreciated.

Event Hours
Friday from 2pm to 6pm,
Saturday from 10am to 8pm
Sunday from 10am to 4pm.

Veterans Memorial Park / Riverwalk Center
600 North Indian River Drive, Fort Pierce, FL 34950
———
Just in case you guys are curious…
from slate.com
Explainer
Answers to your questions about the news.
Did Pirates Really Say “Arrrr”?
The origin of Hollywood’s high-seas slang.
By Christopher Bonanos

Johnny Depp took home the best performance award at Sunday’s MTV Movie Awards, for his role as Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. (The third installment of the series topped the weekend box-office tallies again this past weekend, pulling in $43.2 million.) Depp’s character famously speaks in a dissolute London mumble inspired by Keith Richards. But virtually all his crewmen hew to the classic movie-pirate patois, full of growled consonants and shiver-me-timbers slang. Wait, did pirates really say “arrrrr”?

Probably not. Both that phrase and the accent that goes with it are strictly Hollywood. The pirate phrase “Arrrgh” appeared in film as early as 1934; a character also uses the phrase in a 1940 novel by Jeffrey Farnol. But the phrase and accent were popularized by Robert Newton, the actor who played Long John Silver in the movies and on TV through much of the 1950s. Newton was from Dorset, in southwest England, * and the regional accent he brought to the movies included a rolled “r.” Though Dorset may well have produced its share of sailors, they were hardly the only pirates out there; many seamen *—and especially the outlaws on pirate vessels—were people who struck out from oppressed nations, like Scotland and Ireland, to start over on the high seas.

So, was there a typical pirate accent at all? Among British outlaws, yes: The onboard speech was most likely underclass British sailor with extra curse words, augmented with a polyglot slang of French, Italian, Spanish, and Dutch picked up around the trade routes. “Arrrrr” is mostly fiction, as are a number of the other affiliated signifiers:

People very rarely walked the plank *, and nobody has ever discovered an actual pirate treasure map. On the myth-confirming side, pirates were known to dress in loose clothing, guzzle rum and smash the empty bottles, and chase busty wenches through Caribbean ports.

Got a question about today’s news? Ask the Explainer.

Explainer thanks Christine Lampe, editor of the pirate-history journal No Quarter Given, and Richard Zacks, author of Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd.

***** The Habit Burger Grill.

Way-way back on August 16, 2012- and then again on December 3, 2014- Jeff Eats told you guys about The Habit Burger Grill- a fast food hamburger chain with-locations in California and Arizona. Both the 8/16/12 and 12/3/14 “stories” are reprinted down below.

Just got word, that The Habit Burger Grill is “building” its- first Florida location at 1801 South Federal Highway in Delray Beach-no opening date has been set, so we’ll have to keep an eye-out for that! Hopefully the Delray Beach “BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT” or whatever it is called- doesn’t throw too many monkey wrenches at this one!

Trust Jeff Eats, The Habit Burger Grill makes dynamite food. When it opens, you gotta go!
_____
December 3, 2014
* The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ:HABT).

On August 16, 2012 Jeff Eats did a “story” on California based “burger” chain-The Habit Burger. That story-is reprinted below.

Just wanted to mention that its parent company, The Habit Restaurants, Inc. went public about a week ago (NASDAQ: HABT) at $18 a share. As Jeff Eats types, its stock is currently trading around $34.

Keep an eye on this Company, based on the restaurant operation I saw and- what I “read” in the Company’s Offering Prospectus- this chain has a real shot to- develop into a HUGE national player.
*****

August 16, 2012
***** The Habit Burger

Burgers-Burgers-Burgers…

You guys know South Florida’s fast-food burger players—like Five Guys, BurgerFi, Shake Shack, Smashburger, Elevation—not to mention the giant chains like Burger King, Wendy’s- McDonald’s. To paraphrase the late great Soupy Sales, “There are more fast food burger joints in South Florida than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook. You and Jeff Eats both know, that one day the giant game of fast food burgers musical chairs is going to end very-very badly for most of the players. For sure a number will be left standing, but seriously folks, do we really need a fast-food burger joint literally on every other corner? You know we don’t- but seemingly there are many “entrepreneurs” who obviously don’t.

Anyway…I recently came across The Habit Burger chain which has been around since 1969. For right now it has 60 units mostly in California with a handful in Arizona. You can check www.habitburger.com for menu/prices/locations. Betcha right about now, you are saying “Hey Jeff Eats, I never even heard about this one.” Jeff Eats will also bet you a nickel that most of you have heard about the legendary burger chain In n Out Burgers but have never been in one. I’m right aren’t I?

Now, nothing for nothing…but I would seriously “match” The Habit Burger’s char-flamed cheeseburger, french fries, onion rings that I recently had against the stuff made by any of the guys listed above.

Just imagine for a minute– how many fast food burger joints South Florida could really have if guys like In n Out, The Habit, Hardees decided to expand into our neighborhoods. It would be the greatest and largest game of musical chairs to watch.

In closing, the next time you are in California or Arizona…check The Habit Burger out. The food is dynamite!

* B STREET BAND.

Jeff Eats has seen this New Jersey based- Springsteen tribute band…they are REAL GOOD!

You now got a chance to see them for FREE…

Free Friday Concert:
B STREET BAND
Friday, January 30 – 7:30 p.m.
Rain or shine; free admission. The final concert of the 2014-15 Free Friday Concert series features the ultimate Bruce Springsteen Tribute! Food trucks and cash bar available.
Delray Beach Center for the Arts / Outdoor Pavilion
51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach 33444
561-243-7922, DelrayArts.org
—
UPDATE: 2/5/15
Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats were there…along with thousands of our closest friends. BSTREET was terrific and the event couldn’t have been better!

* AT&T & COMCAST.

These have to be two of the worse companies in America to do business with.

I have found a “real solution” on how to handle these folks…

When I get overbilled which literally happens EVERY MONTH-or have some other problem, in addition to calling the Company direct…I immediately file a complaint online with the FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (fcc.gov)- you will be amazed-at how fast AT&T and COMCAST call you to straighten out the problem.

This past Sunday, Jeff Eats filed over-billing complaints against both companies. Comcast contacted me Monday- morning, corrected the billing error and gave me a $30 credit on my account for the next 12 months. AT&T had two people call me Tuesday morning, one did nothing and said that she would get back to me, while the second person, corrected the over-billing error and gave me a $40 credit towards next month’s bill.

I’m telling you, don’t be intimidated by these companies. Get what you are entitled to. Just file with the FCC and you’ll have the United States Government finally doing something that actually helps you out!

* The WannaBeatles.

Just a reminder, back on December 21, 2014- Jeff Eats told you guys about The WannaBeatles- a tremendous Nashville based- Beatles’ tribue act that was coming into- Florida for 3- dates, February 3rd, February 5th, February 6th, 2015.

The December 21, 2014 article is reprinted down below.

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats are set to attend the FAU-show.

If you like The Beatles, you-definitely want to catch The WannaBeatles!
—–
December 21, 2014
* The WannaBeatles.

Like you, over the years- Jeff Eats has seen his fair share of Beatles’ cover and tribute bands. Some good, some not so good, some really good…

The WannaBeatles are one of the best Beatles’ tribute acts that I have ever seen.

The Nashville based 2012 Grammy-Nominated band (yes, Jeff Eats said Grammy-Nominated) currently has three 2015 Florida shows scheduled…2/3/15 at FAU in Boca Raton, 2/5/15 at Tennessee Williams Theatre in Key West, 2/6/15 at First Baptist Church in Fort Lauderdale.

Trust Jeff Eats when I tell you, Beatles’ fans -YOU DON’T WANT TO MISS THESE GUYS!

I’ll now let you check thewannabeatles.com for tickets-videos-other info.

For what it’s worth, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Etas -plan on being at the FAU concert.

Meet The WannaBeatles!
The WannaBeatles offer a fun-filled, family friendly extravaganza that goes “where no Beatles Band has gone before.” Of course, you’ll hear your Beatles favorites, but there’s much more! Their hilarious parodies, on stage antics, and audience involvement combined with ground breaking visual effects that make The WannaBeatles show a “must see.” Whether with a symphony orchestra or as a stand-alone performance like the original “Fab Four,” The WannaBeatles love what they do and it shows!

***** Vinnie’s Lobster Bar, 5810 South University Drive, Davie, Florida 33328, (954) 680-3323.

Got a real good- Seafood/Italian/American joint for you guys…Vinnie’s Lobster Bar in Davie.

If you aren’t a seafood “player”…don’t be a-scared by Vinnie’s Lobster Bar’s name–for sure its got plenty of seafood stuff, but the joint has more Italian dishes-than what most Italian restauarnts serve up.

Down below, Jeff Eats has “reprinted” Vinnie’s menu…small joint with inside and outside seating, full bar area…trust Jeff Eats, it looks kinda fancy, but looks are often deceiving-for crying out loud, the freaking joint is in a Target Shopping Center! Nothing for nothing, growing up in Brooklyn in the 50’s-70’s I was literally raised on joints that looked/tasted just like Vinnie’s Lobster Bar…trust me there is a certain “hey I’m from da-neighborhood” vibe that makes these kinda joints real special! Of course back in Brooklyn, we didn’t “do” outside-seating except in late Spring, Summer and early Fall. By the way, if you aren’t following Jeff Eats’ thought process on the neighborhood “vibe” thing, I just guess, maybe you-had-to-have-lived-it…to get it! But trust me, you-New Yorkers-will sense it right away!

Like I said a few seconds ago, the joint is real good…

The other night Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats “did”…clams oreganato, garden house salad, lobster bisque, stuffed lobster tail with shrimp and scallops, chicken parmigiana- and everything was right on the money.

Jeff Eats highly recommends that you give Vinnie’s Lobster Bar a shot…I think that you will really enjoy it!

The joint is open Monday-Saturday 11:30am-11pm, Sunday 3pm-11pm.

You can checkout menu/prices/other info at vinnieslobsterbarflorida.com.

* Little Anthony & The Imperials- Sonny Turner former lead singer of The Platters.

Make it your business to go and see- 2009 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee- Little Anthony & The Imperials.

Trust Jeff Eats when I tell you, one of the greatest vocal groups of all time – with one of the greatest lead singers of all time!

From poprockdoowopp.com
Saturday, January 31at 8:00pm in EST
FAU Carole & Barry Kaye Auditorium
777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton, Florida 33431
Find Tickets
Tickets Available
www.ticketmaster.com
Enjoy an evening with Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Little Anthony & The Imperials… “Goin’ Out of My Head”, “Tears on My Pillow”, “Hurt So Bad”, “I’m on the Outside Looking In”, “Two People in the World”, “Take Me Back” and more!

And, back by popular demand, special guest star Sonny Turner, former lead singer of the Platters… “Only You”, “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes”, “With this Ring”, “My Prayer”, “Twilight Time”, “The Great Pretender”, “I Love You 1,000 Times” and more!

VIP tickets include a private meet and greet with the stars.

Click for tickets or call Ticketmaster 1-800-745-3000
Group sales: 561-297-2471

***** East End Café, Kings Point-7000 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33446, (561) 381-2028.

Got something real good for your guys…East End Café- small breakfast/lunch diner located on the east-side of Kings Point’s Main Clubhouse.

Just so you know, all though Kings Point’s “entrance” has a manned- gatehouse (God forbid Islamic- terrorists ever show-up, those terrorists won’t know what hit them!) East End Cafe is open to the public- all you have to tell “the guards” is- that you are going to the East End Café and they will wave-you right through the gate…you don’t have to give your name, you don’t have to show a license or a phone bill, you don’t gotta do nothing!

Real simple, East End Café has a cool look- like something out of Brooklyn- circa 1960s-1970s…counter seating, tables, booths, outdoor tables.

The joint does breakfast-lunch…Monday-Friday 7:30am-3pm, Saturday-Sunday 8am-3pm.

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats recently did both a breakfast and lunch…western omelette, challah French toast, hamburger/French fries, chopped liver/lettuce/tomato/onion, reuben-corned beef- and I gotta tell you, the food was delicious and the prices just right.

Printed down below, are East End Cafe’s breakfast-lunch menus.

Kings Point’s residents got a home-run joint…not many- “outsiders” know about East End Café- try it you’ll love it!