***** Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox & Market, 1101 South Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442, (954) 708-2035.

Way back on February 14, 2014–Jeff Eats mentioned Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox & Market-an “upscale” wait-service hamburger joint in Deerfield Beach. You can check that 2/14/2014 “story” if you like–but the jist was-that the joint had just opened for business, that I had not yet eaten there and that Jeff Eats had heard terrific things about Tucker Duke’s from -friends at Burger Beast www.burgerbeast.com.

Now, since that “story” appeared, the Sun Sentinel reviewed the joint–giving it a real-solid 3 stars…in addition, Jeff Eats must have spoken to at least 15 people who had eaten there and had really enjoyed the food and service.

Now, I could say…”You’ve read and heard from the rest, now listen to the best (that’s of course Jeff Eats) but I won’t…just too tacky!

Anyway,

Last night Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats had dinner at Tucker Duke’s and I gotta tell you we absolutely loved the food, service, décor and vibe.

Tucker Duke’s is “literally” located no-where…it’s in a small strip center and is in between a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Subway. The whole store is 1,600 square feet and it has 12 seats outside. Inside, it has 1- table that seats 4, a small bar (wine and beer) that seats 16 and a- common seating-hi top setup that handles 16…that’s the whole shooting match. By the way on that common seating hi top—think of “strangers” sitting with “strangers” and you’ll be on the right page.

Now let’s talk about menu/and what we ate…Tucker’s menu has 9 appetizers, 14 burgers, 11 sandwiches, 3 salads, 2 desserts…

We tried peanut butter & jelly bon-bons and cheese fritters. We tried The Tucker Duke Burger topped with fried onion rings/American cheese/tucker sauce/lettuce/tomato/onion roll. We tried the Fido Burger topped with American cheese/cheddar cheese/crispy onions/ketchup/tucker sauce/pickles/onion roll. We tried tater tots and sweet potato fries. All Jeff Eats can tell you is that everything was right on the money-and the burgers were exceptionally good.

Last night was a Thursday night…Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats got there around 7pm. When we arrived, every seat was taken and it took us 20 minutes to catch a table outside. During the 75 minutes or so that we were there, the crowd was eclectic–I saw college kids, I saw middle aged folks, I saw older folks, I saw young families, I also saw at least 10 takeout pickups.

Let me wrap this up for you,

It’s rare, but every so often a new-joint “catches fire”…time will tell, but Jeff Eats’ gut tells me that Tucker Duke’s is going to be a huge winner.

Check www.tuckerdukeslunchbox.com for menu/prices.

Just so you know, Tucker Duke’s has another location in Valparaiso, Florida…

Finally, at the start of this story I mentioned Tucker Duke’s vibe…now you and I know that “vibe” is a subjective thing…This is taken directly from the Tucker’s menu-“WARNING: Lighten up-Tucker Duke’s is not politically correct. If you are easily offended or your egocentric personality compels you to operate with a thin skin, there’s a good chance you’ll be offended here. Consider yourself warned, AND REMEMBER ITS ALL IN GOOD FUN! We believe that tact is for people who aren’t witty enough for sarcasm.” The menu also has a no Whining section…

Trust Jeff Eats on this one, the food is dynamite, the service is solid, the prices are reasonable, the music is loud, the “crowd” is shall we say-“fun”—and you’ll really enjoy yourself (that is, unless you are a real whining egocentric person).

Tucker Duke’s Lunchbox & Market is open Monday-Saturday 10:30am-10pm, Sunday 9pm-9pm.

* Do You Know What This Is?

* And They Thought That The Beatles At She Stadium Was A Big Production!

Just read this in Billboard…

Absolutely mind blowing how the “concert” business has—developed over the years.

Not exactly your father’s Buick!
*****

Rio Heading To Las Vegas, Site Will Resemble An ‘Amusement Park’
Articles
News

By Mitchell Peters | April 22, 2014 12:13 AM EDT
Rock In Rio Heading To Las Vegas, Site Will Resemble An ‘Amusement Park.’

A giant roulette-like Ferris wheel. Themed streets boasting the sights and sounds of Brazil, U.S. and U.K. A 400-foot zip-line that zooms festival-goers across the crowd. A flying DJ booth and more than 100 musical acts on six stages.

These are just a few things to expect from the U.S. debut of Rock In Rio, which will be held over two weekends in May 2015 inside a new 80,000-capacity open-air venue to be built on the Las Vegas Strip.

“It’s like an amusement park with a lot of different attractions,” Rock In Rio CEO Luis Justo tells Billboard. “More than the talent itself, the experience that the crowd has at Rock In Rio is really different.”

Rock in Rio’s Roberto Medina Reveals Plan For Las Vegas Festival in 2015: Exclusive

Since being founded by Brazilian entrepreneur Roberto Medina in 1985, Rock in Rio — which outs itself as the “World’s Biggest Music Festival” — has been staged 13 times in Rio, Madrid and Lisbon to more than seven million music fans. Next month, the five-day Lisbon (Portugal) edition will boast sets by the Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Lorde, Arcade Fire, Justin Timberlake and Linkin Park. Other past events have featured such marquee acts as Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen and Iron Maiden.

To help achieve a unique festival experience for its U.S. debut in 2015, Rock In Rio has partnered with Las Vegas entertainment giants MGM Resorts International, Cirque du Soleil and Ron Burkle’s Yucaipa Companies, Billboard has learned. In separate agreements, MGM, Cirque and Yucaipa have teamed to build an outdoor concert venue that will host Rock In Rio Las Vegas, while the other deal sees Rock In Rio, Cirque and Yucaipa joining forces as equity partners in the U.S. market.

A formal announcement is expected later this week.

MGM, Cirque and Yucaipa will collectively invest $20 million for the construction of a permanent open-air venue, called City of Rock, on 33 acres of land located near the corner of Sahara Ave. Rock In Rio will not have an ownership stake in the new structure, but the festival has a long-term contract to host at least three future editions in the lot.

“Rock In Rio is every two years, so we have 2015, 2017 and 2019 guaranteed,” Justo says, declining to reveal financial details about the contract.

Rock In Rio organizers played a significant role in designing the new outdoor venue to fit the festival’s needs. The layout of the structure will be similar to past Rock in Rio events, including five stages, city-themed streets, food courts, shopping outlets, and other activities.

“We had our engineers design all the infrastructure, because we have the experience of premiere and world-class outdoor venues,” Justo says. “It’s all underground cabling, artificial grass, real toilets — it’s a very premium festival experience.”

Construction of the venue begins in July and will continue for about seven months. Outside of Rock In Rio, the lot will be used for other festivals and sporting events, MGM Resorts International president and chief marketing officer Bill Hornbuckle tells Billboard.

“The opportunity outside of the 45-day setup and 30-day teardown (for Rock In Rio) is that we have the venue for other like activities, whether it’s a country, jazz or food festival,” Hornbuckle says. “We could also envision doing outdoor boxing or UFC matches for 50,000 people, or we could set up a temporary environment for Major League Soccer.”

In a separate partnership, Cirque and Yucaipa have each acquired a 20% share of Rock In Rio USA. Rock In Rio maintains a 60% share in the stateside event. The overall production cost of the U.S. festival cost about $45 million, according to Justo. Last November, SFX Entertainment, led by chairman/CEO Robert Sillerman, acquired a 50% interest of the worldwide Rock In Rio festival franchise.

Justo says the partnership between Rock In Rio and Cirque du Soleil is a natural fit because of their “same obsession for creating a close and emotional connection to big audiences.” But the famous acrobatics and otherworldly characters from such popular Las Vegas Cirque shows as “O” and “Ka” will not be found at the Rock In Rio Vegas, the CEO points out. Instead, Cirque has been brought on because of the company’s “deep knowledge of the market and consumer behavior,” he says.

To ensure that Rock In Rio Las Vegas gets proper exposure to stateside music fans who might not be aware of the brand, the festival is spending $30 million in a broad mix of radio, digital, mobile, print, cinema, cable TV, and trade and entertainment magazines. Additionally, Rock In Rio has partnered with Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio to promote the event to the digital platform’s millions of listeners. Rock In Rio has also teamed with NCM Network’s Regal, AMC and Cinemark U.S. movie theaters to promote the festival during film previews.

Meanwhile, Rock In Rio USA bookers are in the beginning stages of securing talent for the Las Vegas edition. Justo says fans should expect similar big-name headliners as past events. The U.S. festival will take place over two weekends with up to 120 acts over four days. “It will be different lineups,” Justo says. “One weekend will be more pop oriented and the other will be more rock oriented.”

In addition to five traditional stages — including a main state, EDM stage and “indie” stage — during the afternoon, there will be a surprise at the end of each night that should please the dance music lovers.

Robert Sillerman on Rock In Rio Deal (Exclusive)

“At the end of the last headliner on the main stage, a DJ will literally come flying from the main stage to the middle of the crowd,” Justo says, noting there will be an EDM stage located in that area. “And Rock in Rio will transform into a 360-degree nightclub.”

Rock In Rio USA tickets will go on sale in January 2015

* Great Story!

Just read this “story” on AOL news…its got nothing to do with food-restaurants-entertainment–Just a great story!

“A Texas boy saving up for months for a new game console, instead used the money to help his community.
Hector Montoya, 9, was devastated to learn that a mother and her daughter were killed nearby in a house fire, so he used his own money to make sure nothing like that ever happened again.
Hector took the money he’d been saving for months for a new Playstation 4, and used it to buy a hundred smoke detectors for his community.
The Grand Prairie Fire Department even helped the young humanitarian install the smoke detectors in every home that didn’t already have one.
It looks like Hector won’t have to start saving for his game console from scratch, because two complete strangers were so touched by his story, they gave him his very own Playstation 4.
And that wasn’t all, they also presented him with $150 so that he could buy more smoke detectors for his community.”

***** Lou’s Giant Subs & Deli, 1721 North Dixie Highway, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 946-9600.

Let’s start this one off by saying…Jeff Eats loved Lou’s Giant Subs & Deli in Pompano Beach.

You know the game…order at/ pickup at the counter…loads of inside seating, handful of tables outside.

Lou’s Giant Subs & Deli housed- in a free standing building has been around since 1971. Unlike most sub-joints, Lou’s does breakfast.

You can check menu/prices at www.lousgiantsubs.com.

For you lazy guys, Lou’s menu has every base covered… with all kinds of breakfast sandwiches/subs, hot & cold subs, wraps, soups, burgers/hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, hot plates- like chicken parm- bbq pork- meat lasagna.

The other day Jeff Eats did some “testing”… 6″ chicken parm sub ($6.09–the 12″ goes for $10.29), 6″ chicken salad sub ($5.99–the 12″ goes for $10.99), 6″ French dip roast beef au jus ($6.39–the 12” goes for $10.49) and I gotta tell you—all 3-subs were delicious.

Let me wrap this up…

Just this simple- Lou’s Giant Subs & Deli is one of the best sub-joints that Jeff Eats has been to in South Florida.

Lou’s is open Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm, Sunday 10am-5pm.

* The Voices Of Legends In Concert.

Kings Point in Delray Beach is one the few South Florida residential communities that allows non- residents to buy tickets to its shows.

Attached -is a FLYER for a number of November, 2014-January, 2015 Kings Point dates -that feature some great “oldies” tribute/original artists shows.

If this stuff is of interest to you- go to www.kingspointdelray.com for details/order tickets.

Don’t forget. The early bird catches the first worm!

***** Fork & Knife, 99 Southeast Mizner Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 405-6542.

Back on November 28, 2013- Jeff Eats told you guys about Fork & Knife an “American-Style” joint which had just opened for business in Boca Raton. A copy of that story is reprinted below.

To make a long story short…

Last night Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats did- our “second” Fork & Knife dinner and I gotta tell you, that my bacon cheeseburger and Mrs. Jeff Eats’ turkey burger were delicious. Both burgers came with real-good fresh handcut French fries–and we took advantage- of Fork & Knife’s “TUESDAY HALF-PRICED BURGERS” special.

Let’s talk turkey here–gobble, gobble, gobble…

No matter what anyone tells Jeff Eats, Fork & Knife’s location stinks. It’s a few blocks from Mizner Park, but those few blocks–really hurt. Now-not going into detail but I’ve “heard”–that Fork & Knife is just holding its own…which is really a shame- because it’s a great looking joint with some really solid food. If (long ago- Jeff Eats’ father told me to never use the word “if”) Fork & Knife was in Mizner Park- it would be a home-run…but it’s not, so what is, is!

Here’s a suggestion…

Give Fork & Knife a shot.

Jeff Eats really enjoyed the joint and I think you will too!
*****

***** Fork & Knife, 99 Southeast Mizner Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 405-6542.

Way-back on November 24th- Jeff Eats did a “story” on Fork & Knife…that story is reprinted below.

Here is an update for you guys…

Last night, Jeff Eats & Company (Mrs. Jeff Eats, Son Jeff Eats, Daughter Jeff Eats–everyone is home for Thanksgiving) ate dinner at Fork & Knife…

Let me start by saying, that Fork & Knife is a great looking restaurant. When you are there, you can’t help but notice the huge black/white photos of iconic American restaurants that decorate the walls. Last night, Lee Tushman the owner explained that the photos represented various regions/food styles in the United States— Carneige Deli (NYC-), Wolfie’s (Miami Beach), Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles (Los Angeles), The Varsity (Atlanta)–there are several others and I’ll leave Mr. Tushman to give you book, chapter and verse as to what they all “mean.” Fork & Knife also has something real cool–a communal table, which seats up to 12 “strangers” if they would like to meet/eat with, well-total other strangers! Lee Tushman is an interesting guy and a realist to boot-”Look I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m just doing good solid food at reasonable prices.” When you try Fork & Knife, I think you’ll enjoy talking to Tushman and his managers. Unless I’m reading this all wrong, these guys-are trying to create a “Cheers” type-deal, you do remember that tv show don’tcha? I say this, based on having watched how Tushman and two floor managers greeted and engaged every person at the bar-tables-booths.

Anyway…

Items ordered…chopped salad, wedge salad, fried chicken and waffles, cheeseburger, hot dogs, chicken pot pie, french fries, sweet potato fries, french green beans–and I gotta tell you everything was right on the money. Are we talking food “like” Jeff Eats has never ever had before, nope!–but like I just said, right on the money. A special shout-out to Detroit born/bred Tushman’s “Detroit” hot dog–not exactly like the Sabretts, Hebrew Nationals, Nathans that I grew up with in Brooklyn. Fork & Knife’s version is 1/2 pork-1/2 beef in a natural casing–grilled and topped with chopped onions/mustard/chili on a steamed bun…tastes more like a sausage than a “frank” and it was absolutely dynamite-Fork & Knife serves 2-for 10 bucks and they come with a side of hand cut fresh french fries–don’t miss this one!

Jeff Eats just told you about the items that were ordered…after eating—the waiter delivered COMPLIMENTRY desserts…ice cream puffs, fried wonton apple fritters topped with cinnamon ice cream, Smore’s lollipops and crème brulee. On the dessert front–the verdict was unanimous (very rare in the Eats’ household) puffs, fritters and Smore’s delicious with the brulee a drop too sweet.

For those of you guys who are now saying…Hey Jeff, the desserts were complementary blah blah blah.–I say, first-you don’t know how to spell complimentry and “No one told you not to have a food blog.”

Let me wrap this up this way…

I really enjoyed Fork & Knife…solid food, pleasant service, figure 25 bucks a head for dinner.

You can check www.forkandkniferestaurant.com for menu/prices/hours/other stuff.

*****
American* Fork & Knife (Boca Raton)
Posted on November 24th, 2013 · American Boca Raton · 12 Comments »
* Fork & Knife, 99 Southeast Mizner Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 405-6542.

Let’s play a-little game… “How smart is Jeff Eats?”

This morning, a new American-Style joint Fork & Knife- opened in Boca Raton…

Jeff Eats is very familar with the 6,000 square-foot spot which Fork & Knife now occupies…as it has housed- God Only Knows how many failed restaurants.

Now for the game…Jeff Eats is willing to bet you a buck (I know, real big bet!) that Fork & Knife becomes a huge success. If you want to play, mail a buck or as many bucks that you want -to Post Office Box: I Got You, Boca Raton, Florida 33496…and yes I know that Soupy Sales first thought up this idea way back in the 1960s.

Anyway…

This afternoon, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats paid Fork & Knife a visit. We didn’t eat. What we did, was tour the restaurant with one of the owners- Lee Tushman–review its menu and “discuss” his background, plans and goals for this endeavor. Now I maybe going out on a limb here, because I know that you guys are gonna be sending a ton of one-dollar bills…but based on my outing, I really think that Tushman and his partner Scott Niskar- know exactly how to create and run a successful restaurant.

Now let me tell you what Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats saw…Fork & Knife is a retro- throwback to the diners of the 1950s. The joint which has both indoor/outdoor patio seating (with a separate full-bar area) is an absolutely great looking restaurant. If Jeff Eats was even slightly computer literate, I’d have some photos for you to checkout, but I’m not, so you don’t. Trust me, this is one of the handsomest-coolest looking restaurants that I’ve seen in quite sometime. Just so you know, it isn’t faux black and white tiles with red leather stools and booths—think Houston’s, Cheesecake Factory, Morton’s but with a cool 50s vibe.

Now. let me tell you what Jeff Eats heard/read…the reasonably priced breakfast/lunch/dinner menu is jammed with stuff like burgers, hot dogs, mac & cheese, fried chicken & waffles–I do believe that many people call this “comfort food”…if Jeff Eats is wrong on that definition–so be it, but this type of food is sure comforting to me. Tushman and Niskar are planning on running a real family oriented/casual joint–so get your shorts/tee shirt ensemble ready to go.

Like I said at the top of this rant…the joint opened today for business. Its website www.forlandkniferestaurant.com is still under construction, but according to the owners should be fully operational tomorrow…so you can check menu/prices/photos, I guess- tomorrow.

Call it more than a gut feeling…but Jeff Eats’ bet is that 99 Southeast Mizner Boulevard has finally got itself a keeper.

Jeff Eats plans on trying Fork & Knife sometime in the 30 days or so. If you get there before I do, give me the skinny on your meal.

Finally, Fork & Knife recently put out a PR piece on its business. It’s printed below…it will give you a drop more color on the restaurant.

By the way to show you Jeff Eats’ “doubters” how smart Jeff Eats is…I’ll also go on record that Fork & Knife’s currently planned 7-days a week breakfast..will be quickly scrapped for a Saturday & Sunday only schedule. Real simple, the area’s population mix isn’t right for a 7 day operation.

Looking forward to receiving your dollars…no checks please!

***** House of Pang, 10114 South Military Trail, Boynton Beach, Florida 33436, (561) 734-6469.

House of Pang is a “take-out” Chinese joint in Boynton Beach.

A few weeks ago, friends brought Chinese food from House of Pang -over to the Eats’ house for dinner.

The order:
wonton soup,
egg drop soup,
bbq ribs,
fried dumplings,
egg rolls,
honey garlic chicken,
shrimp with lobster sauce,
sweet & sour pork,
beef egg foo young,
General Taos chicken,
white rice,
brown rice,
roast pork fried rice,
fortune cookies,

Just so you know, prior to this “delivery” Jeff Eats had never heard of House of Pang.

Now, putting aside the fact that Jeff Eats didn’t have to pay for the food–I gotta tell you that House of Pang’s stuff was real good.

I think-you guys know, that Jeff Eats really- isn’t into “pecking orders” but the General Taos chicken, beef egg foo young, fried dumplings, egg rolls were definite keepers.

Let me wrap this up- you guys in Boynton Beach now know about a really good Chinese take-out joint.

House of Pang is open Sunday-Monday 3pm-9:30pm, Tuesday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm.

* Meatball Room-Legends Show.

Take a look at the FLYER attached to this story…

On Saturday Night, April 26th–the Meatball Room in Boca Raton is “staging” an outdoor –Legends Show featuring tribute artists doing- Paul McCartney, Elvis, Barry Manilow, Louie Armstrong and Rod Stewart…talk about an eclectic group–guess Cher was busy!

Anyway…

Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats just booked a table for-6.

For 35 bucks a head (plus tax-tip) three-couples are going to catch what should be a real- entertaining show (Jeff Eats has seen all 5-artists) and a delicious Italian meal for what amounts to “cheap money.”

If this Legends’ type stuff interests you…check www.meatballroom.com for details/reservations.

Finally, if you aren’t familiar with Meatball Room- Jeff Eats has a few Meatball “stories” that will give you some “color” on the restaurant.

One final thought, awhile back, Meatball Room did a Beatles Show that musically was nothing short of terrific…Jeff Eats was there and the head count was close to 700–trust me, that’s a ton of folks. Now, you know that I call it as I see it–that night, Meatball’s food was delicious–but service was WEAK! The reason it was weak- Meatball Room had no business letting-700 people “order off” the menu at the same time-talk about a kitchen getting slammed!

Anyway,

The Legends Show is a $34.95 price fixed show/dinner-deal. Not exactly sure what the menu is, but something like 3 appetizers/3 salads/5 entrees to chose from. Glad to see that the guys running Meatball Room learned from their mistakes. By the way, I just checked with Meatball Room and it already has 290 reservations for the-show…that number and the huge turnout for The Beatles Show tells Jeff Eats, that there are a lot of people out there who enjoy this dinner/show concept. For those of you who didn’t catch The Beatles Show–it was held on an outside patio with a professional sound/lighting/stage setup–and featured the band Across The Universe who absolutely killed it!

To wrap this up…

This coming Saturday Night–I’m looking forward to a great show, delicious food and good service.

***** Mundi’s Italian Restaurant, 330 East Dania Beach Boulevard, Dania Beach, Florida 33004, (954) 927-1127.

Got a real good “mom & pop” red sauce-Italian joint for you…Mundi’s Italian Restaurant in Dania Beach.

If pizza is your game–Mundi’s ain’t for you…no pizza.

I’m thinking maybe 12 tables.

A recent dinner had Jeff Eats, Mrs. Jeff Eats and another couple doing…fried calamari, penne ala vodka, spaghetti with meatballs, veal parmigiana, zuppa di pesce, shrimp scampi and I gotta tell you–we all thought that Mundi’s food was delicious. Now no fooling here…Mundi’s stuff was right up there with some of the best Italian food that Jeff Eats has had in South Florida.

Let me add a drop more color…the husband and wife who own Mundi’s seemed to be all over the joint… greeting/meeting/serving/cooking/cleaning and God only knows what else! Talk about giving 1000 percent.

Real simple call–delicious food, large portions, real pleasant service, reasonable prices…makes Mundi’s a huge winner.

Just a quick thought…I got friends who tell me -that this restaurant or that restaurant was like eating in someone’s home. I don’t know about you, but I’ve eaten in people’s homes where the home cooked food was disgusting. As a kid, I had a friend named Jimmy Esposito-whose mother made nightmarishly bad meat lasagna-but it was home-cooked! I also had a friend named William Chen whose mother made fabulous black & white cookies-but her wonton soup tasted like dirty dish water-go figure!

Anyway…

You can check Mundi’s menu/prices at www.mundis-italian-restaurant.com.

To wrap this thing up…if Wil & Joyce Imondo (they are the mom & pop and husband & wife in this story) ask you over to their house for dinner-GO!

Mundi’s Italian Restaurant is open Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-10pm, closed on Monday.