***** Hurricane Grill & Wings.

If you guys check, back on 6/6/08, 4/28/10 and 2/18/11 Jeff Eats did “stories” on Hurricane Grill & Wings…In a nutshell, the write-ups talked about food and in large part about a Customer Loyalty Rewards Program that was a dismal failure. If you like, you can review those stories–as to my “thoughts” back then-about the wings/burgers/salads that this chain served up–as well as the loyalty system employed.

Anyway…

Last night, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats had dinner at the Hurricane Grill & Wings located in Boca Raton. Long story short, friends of ours were “heading” back-up to New York this morning and Hurricane Grill was a convenient spot to meet at-before they started their trip.

Not going to discuss the current state of the chains’ Loyalty program…I will tell you that the salads, wings, cheeseburger sliders and key lime pie that we shared were all- right on the money. Suffice it to say, we enjoyed the food and the service was good-despite the fact that the joint was packed to the rafters with kids–because something like -Balloon Lady Night was going on.

The main reason I am telling you about this “outing” -is that I noticed a flyer on one of the doors advertising a “free” Tom Petty Tribute Show…when Jeff Eats asked the GM about the band, he indicated that every Saturday night, the Boca Raton restaurant and the Hurricane Grill & Wings in Wellington have live bands performing. In Boca-an out door tent is set up in the parking lot next to the restaurant and in Wellington the bands play inside—

So…

You guys now know where you can catch some good wings/burgers/salads–and enjoy some live music while you eat.

The suggestion here is to check Hurricane Grill & Wings’ website www.hurricanewings.com for South Florida locations/menu/check dates-bands performing.

One final thought, the Boca Raton and Wellington locations are owned by the parent company–others in the area are franchised joints…the point, the franchises may or may not have “live” music-so it pays to check what’s-what with them.

Just so you know-Hurricane Grill & Wings currently has 6-Florida outposts–Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Palm Beach Gardens (2), Wellington, Royal Palm Beach.

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* The Zombies.

Every so often, “something” comes along that is really too good to pass-up…

With that in mind- on Tuesday Night- April 8, 2014, The Zombies will be appearing in concert at the Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach.

Jeff Eats is thinking that most of you guys know who The Zombies are…for what it’s worth- Jeff Eats considers The Zombies to be one of the greatest 1960’s British Invasion Bands…

Trust me on this one–The Zombies “today” are as good as they were way back in the 60’s. I saw the group a year or so ago, and lead singer Colin Blunstone sounds exactly as he did on the group’s hit records “She’s Not There”-“Tell Her No”-“Time Of The Season”. What many folks don’t know, is that Zombies’ co-founder Rod Argent- after leaving The Zombies in 1969- fronted the group Argent-which had the 1972 mega hit “Hold Your Head Up.” Not to bore you with Rock ‘N Roll history–but Blunstone and Argent formally reunited as The Zombies in 2004 and since then have been in huge demand playing concerts all over the world.

Jeff Eats has previously done two “stories” on this upcoming concert…As a matter of fact, I reprinted the February 27, 2014 “one” below.

Let me wrap this one up for you–

If you want to see one of the greatest 60’s British Invasion bands–then you gotta see The Zombies.

Really just that simple!
*****

* The Zombies.

Just this second, received a PR e-mail from the Mardi Gras Casino in Hallandale Beach.

You can “play” food blogger (just like Jeff Eats does) and read the particulars on THE ZOMBIES’ scheduled April 8, 2014 Mardi Gras Casino concert.

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, The Zombies back in 1964 were an amazing band-and 50 years later-still are.

The Mardi Gras Casino is a great outdoor venue…and every seat is good.

When you see/hear original members Colin Blunstone and Rod Argent–you’ll wonder why you aged-and these guys didn’t. I think its got something to do with –”The Picture of Dorian Gary.”- but that’s just a guess!
*****

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT:
Lisa Mizrachi
lmizrachi@mardigrascasinofl.com
954-924-3160

Mardi Gras Casino Presents English Rock Legends, The Zombies!
Featuring Colin Blunstone & Rod Argent
Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Time: 8pm-9:15pm (Will-call opens at 6:30pm / Doors open at 7pm)
Location: Grandstand
Cost: General Admission – $15 / Premium Seating – $30 / VIP – $50
For Ticket Information, visit www.mardigrascasinofl.com

Straight from the UK, Mardi Gras presents The Zombies in a rare South Florida appearance on April 8th at 8pm live in the Grandstand!

The Zombies are the second UK group following the Beatles to score a #1 hit in America, infiltrating the airwaves with their sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral back-up harmonies and jazzy keyboard riffs of their 1960’s hit singles including: “Time of the Season,” “She’s Not There,” “Tell Her No” and Argent’s “Hold Your Head up.”

All ticket holders receive a special buffet price of $10.95 at the French Quarter Restaurant & Bar located on the third floor of the casino from 5pm-10pm.

Mardi Gras Casino is located at 831 North Federal Highway on the corner of US-1 and Pembroke Road. The casino offers over 70,000 square feet of casino excitement featuring 1,100 Las Vegas-style slot machines, including new-linked Progressive slots, video roulette and blackjack, and Vegas-Star Roulette; 30 action-packed poker tables; simulcast and greyhound racing; 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.
###

Lisa Mizrachi
ADVERTISING SUPERVISOR

831 North Federal Hwy., Hallandale Beach, FL. 33009
lmizrachi@mardigrascasinofl.com | 954-924-3200 ext. 3160
www.mardigrascasinofl.com

***** Joe’s Diner, 9331 Tamiami Trail North, Naples, Florida 34108, (239) 254-7929.

Let me ask you guys something…

Do you really think that there would be anyway that Jeff Eats would pass-up eating in a joint named Joe’s Diner? Real easy…Nope!

Joe’s Diner has more- faux 1950’s retro checkerboard tablecloths and linoleum tile flooring–than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook (courtesy Soupy Sales- 1957)–and Jeff Eats loved every red/black and black/white square!

Real simple concept…loads of tables/counter/outdoor patio seating—huge “all day” breakfast menu, salads, sandwiches, burgers, entrees, desserts.

You can check menu/prices and “millions” of décor photos at www.joesdiner.com.

Now- nothing for nothing, Joe’s Diner isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel here! What we got- is a tee shirt/shorts/sneakers-flip flops’ joint that serves real good-food at real reasonable prices–with a bunch of real friendly servers- making for a real pleasant outing.

Based on the fact that Joe’s advertises “Breakfast All Day Every Day!”–Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats did burgers, meatloaf and fried chicken–just fooling, we did breakfast…ordering the Bull Durham omelet, The Rocket omelet, Famous Crunch French Toast and I gotta tell you, that all three dishes were terrific. No fooling here–definitely one of the best breakfasts- Mrs. Jeff Eats and I have had in a very long time. You may- then again you may not- be wondering what was “in-or on” the mentioned omelets and/or French toast–so, let’s make this an inter-active review–and you can check (if you like) www.joediners.com for “ingredients.

Joe’s Diner is a huge winner.

Joe’s Diner is open Monday-Friday 6am-3pm, Saturday-Sunday 7am-3pm.

***** Bo’s Ice Cream, 7101 North Florida Avenue, Tampa, Florida 33604, (813) 234-3870.

Bo’s Ice Cream…free standing/soft serve ice cream joint—walkup window/drive thru/seating-2 outdoor picnic tables.

Think Dairy Queen or Carvel and you’ll be on the right page.

What makes Bo’s “special”? –well for starters-the joint has been around since 1954…the vanilla soft serve covered in butterscotch–the upside banana split in a cup–the chocolate soft serve with Heath Bar (like DQ’s Blizzard–but it’s called Thick N Chunky)–that Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats gobbled down.

Call me sentimental, but while sitting at one of the picnic benches–Jeff Eats just imagined what terrific times/memories–this 60 year old joint had generated.

I don’t know about you guys…but I remember “my” Sam’s Candy Store—Brooklyn circa 1950s-1960s as if it was just yesterday.

The way I see it, it’s the Bo’s of the world that help put things in proper perspective–but that’s just me!

Bo’s Ice Cream is open 7 days a week 11am-11pm.

***** Coney Island Sandwich Shop, 250 Dr. Martin King Jr. Street North, St. Petersburg, Florida 33705, (727) 822-4493.

Coney Island Sandwich Shop has been in business since 1926…counter seating/handful of booths. Give or take–the joint probably looks just like it did when it first opened for business some 88 years ago (I did the math for you).

Real simple menu–hot dogs, hamburgers, handful of sandwiches, shakes…no french fries.

Coney Island Sandwich Shop is “famous” for its Smithfield pork/beef flat-top grilled hot dog topped with yellow mustard/chopped onions/chili–washed down by one of its milkshakes -so, when in Rome, Jeff Eats does as the Romans do–I had a chili dog and washed it down with a chocolate shake. On the hot dog side of the ledger–okay, but nothing great…as for the shake-real good. The tab with-tip $7. By the way, this is a cash-only joint.

Let me wrap Coney Island Sandwich Shop up for you…when you walk into the joint it’s as if you went back in time…really-really cool. Nothing for nothing, Jeff Eats loves really-really cool, but -if Coney Island Sandwich Shop didn’t have the Memory Lane Card in its deck…it would be hard for me to recommend a visit.

Coney Island Sandwich Shop is open Monday-Friday 11am-7pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, closed Sunday.

* The Steven Seagal Band.

For those of you who might-care, The Steven Seagal Band will be at Hard Rock Live on Monday-June 16, 2014 at 8pm. As if you’ll need it-there is an Internet-Pre Sale on 3/27 11am-11pm and the Passcode is GUITAR.

In all seriousness, Jeff Eats is expecting a sell-out tomorrow-as I understand that Seagal has promised to personally visit the home of every person who received the Internet-Pre Sale email and didn’t buy a ticket.

Please Act Accordingly!

***** Square 1 Burgers & Bar, 5031 South Cleveland Avenue, Fort Myers, Florida 33907, (239) 931-8111.

Got an absolutely terrific- full service BURGER joint for you…Square 1 Burgers & Bar. For right now, this small Florida-chain has 6 locations with a seventh location scheduled to open in The Villages, Florida early next month.

Just so you know, Jeff Eats “tried” the Square 1 Fort Myers’ location–so this “critique” is only for that particular joint.

Real fast…

Square 1’s décor is done in “cow”–check website www.square1burgersbar.com and you’ll know what I’m talking about. It has indoor/covered outdoor patio seating–and a full bar that serves both inside/outside window seating. The joint’s menu is basically salads, burgers, shakes.

Trust Jeff Eats on this one…If you like flat top grilled burgers (beef, chicken, duck, turkey, lamb, kobe, veggie) French fries, onion rings, shakes–you’re gonna love this joint.

A recent outing had Jeff Eats doing a cheeseburger (burgers are 6 oz.) with French fries…Mrs. Jeff Eats did a lamb burger with sweet potato fries. We split a chopped salad and an order of onion rings. Our meals were washed down with chocolate and vanilla shakes–by the way, Square 1 uses Blue Bell Ice Cream in its shakes.

Let me wrap this up for you…

Square 1 Burgers & Bar is a homerun. The only problem- I have with this chain–is that for right now it’s not “chaining” in the Dade-Broward-Palm Beach area. I am telling you, Square 1 Burgers would absolutely kill-it in “our” neighborhood.

You can check menu/prices/photos/locations/other info at www.square1burgersbar.com.

Square 1 Burgers & Bar is open Sunday-Wednesday 11am-10pm, Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-midnight.

* Another Cookie Story For You!

This morning Jeff Eats “did” two cookie-stories…”College Cookies” and “Insane Cookies.”

Thought you guys you would enjoy reading this-story “Girl Scout Break Cookie Selling Record” that I just read on AP-

One quick thought, this kid would be real “dangerous” at a Tupperware Party…Can’t even fathom what it would be like to “encounter” this kid while walking into Publix!
*****

“Girl Scout Breaks Cookie Selling Record…18,107 boxes of cookies. That’s what it took for an Oklahoma City sixth grader to narrowly break the national record for Girl Scout cookie sales.

According to ABC, 12-year-old Katie Francis has broken a 30-year-old record of 18,000 boxes. She was also the top cookie seller nationwide in 2013.

The Oklahoman points out Katie broke the state record in Oklahoma the last two years. She told the paper she has sold thousands of boxes in the past.

“Well, the first year that I sold, I sold 2,004. The year after that, I sold 7,482. And then just this last year, I sold 12,428.”

So what’s Katie’s secret? According to USA Today, it’s a whole lot of dedication.

Katie says she asks everyone she sees if they would like to get a box. On school days, she would be out selling cookies all over the area until after 9 p.m. And, on weekends, she’d spend at least 12 hours out on the streets selling cookies, with her mom driving her around the city.

Katie’s mom told the paper her daughter hopes to sell 100,000 boxes of girl scout cookies by the end of her girl scout career. As for this year, Katie still has a few more days to sell cookies. Girl Scout cookie sales end March 30.”

* College Cookies!

Jeff Eats recently got an email from Tad G. Take a look at it:

Hey Jeff,

Like you, my parents were born in Brooklyn.
My dad attended Madison HS and my mom went to Lincoln HS.
Based on your site’s bio, your about 8 years older than they are.
We moved to Delray Beach in 2004.
I’m currently a junior at the University of Miami.
I have friends at colleges all over the United States and a number of them told me that there are local companies that deliver in the evening fresh baked cookies/milk/other items to dorms and apartments on/near campus.
There is a company in Miami named Night Owl Cookie doing the same thing.
I was wondering as to what you think of this type of business?
The reason I ask, I was thinking that maybe this cookie delivery business could develop into a huge national business with a handful of dominant players.
My dad and a few of his friends maybe willing to bankroll a startup for this.
Would appreciate your thoughts.
*****
Jeff Eats “reply”–

Tad G.:

The cookie “delivery” business that you mentioned is an interesting concept.
Jeff Eats first heard about it about 6 years ago from a student at Indiana University.
Since then, I have kept an eye on the “industry” and note that many “college towns” have some type of variation on the concept.
If you check Insomnia Cookies (www.insomniacookies.com) which was started in 2003 by a University Of Pennsylvania student currently has 40 locations.
Not to burst any bubbles, but personally I think that it’s a limited business.
Unlike pizza, wings–I just don’t see “cookie delivery” as being really huge no matter what time it is.
Not saying it doesn’t work, but I don’t think that it works everywhere like Burger King, Subway.
I think that cookies are a really limited product.

Hope my thoughts help.