* 2014 Burgies.

Our friends, over at food blog–Burger Beast www.burgerbeast.com (in conjunction with JM Lexus) are hosting what should be a really cool-food truck event…details are printed below.

Jeff Eats is planning on “doing” this event…

For you guys who don’t follow Burger Beast…it’s definitely one of South Florida’s best food blogs. For what it’s worth, Jeff Eats checks it every day—and I gotta tell you, the Beast knows “his” stuff…Over the years- Burger Beast has turned me on–to a number of great joints-that I might have missed on my own.

Anyway…

*****
When:
Saturday, February 1, 2014– 5:30 pm -10:30pm
Where:
Esplanade Park
401 SW 2nd St
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
What/Why: The 5th Annual Burger Beast Burgie Awards brought to you by JM Lexus.

In 2009 South Florida Food Blogger Burger Beast wanted to honor the unsung heroes of the South Florida Food Scene with Awards. His “Burgie Awards”, the first of their kind were a sensation. SFL Restaurants & Food Trucks have now taken to proudly displaying their “Burgie Awards” year round. Voting for the 2014 Awards ended on Friday January 10th, 2014. The winners will be announced live at this event.

JM Lexus is bringing the 2014 Burgies to Esplanade Park in Ft. Lauderdale on Saturday February 1st. It will be the 2nd time the event takes place in Broward County. The 25 Best Food Trucks in South Florida will be on hand selling to the public a variety of great eats. Funky Buddha Brewery will have an array of Craft Beers to choose from.

There will be DJ Sets by Afrobeta & Pinchadiscos 305 as well as live music by Los Bastardos Magnificos and the Osceola Brothers Band. Live Art by Attack the Planet & many others.

South Florida Food Trucks include former Burgie Award Winners Ms. Cheezious (Best Dade County Food Truck 2013), The Rolling Stove (Best Broward County Food Truck 2013), HipPOPs Handcrafted Gelato Bars (Best Dessert Truck 2013), Jefe’s Original Fish Taco & Burgers (Best Taco 2013), Daddy’s Grill (Best Pinchos 2011) plus 20 more. To see the full line-up please visit http://burgerbeast.com/b…

Admission is FREE

***** Chow Thai, 23034 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, Boca Raton, Florida 33428, (561) 487-8414.

Looking for a real-good Thai joint?–checkout Chow Thai in Boca Raton.

The other night 6 of us gave Chow Thai a shot and I gotta tell you-that the food this joint served up was delicious.

Our meal-
appetizers…
vegetable spring rolls, steam chicken dumplings, moo ping, fried chicken wings.
soups…
miso, wonton.
salads…
green salad with peanut dressing, bean sprout salad.
entrees…
soft shell crab, cashew chicken, thai shrimp pancake, siamese duck, tiger prawn, grilled chicken, shrimp/beef/chicken fried rice, pad thai.
desserts…
fried banana with vanilla ice cream, thai donuts.

At this stage of the proceedings you guys can check www.chowthai.info for menu/prices.

Just so we are straight with each other, Thai food isn’t exactly what Jeff Eats would be ordering for a last meal at the Attica Correctional Facility. That said, I really enjoyed everything that was served…with special shout-outs to the fried chicken wings, siamese duck, fried rice and the thai donuts.

Chow Thai is open for lunch Tuesday-Friday 11am-3pm, dinner Tuesday-Saturday 4:30pm-10pm and Sunday 4:30pm-9pm, closed on Monday.

One final thought, I got a real good friend Charlie B. who every 2-3 years makes a trip to Thailand. Always attributed nefarious reasons for the trips, but just maybe his claims of fabulous food and culture–are legit.

Anyway…

Give Chow Thai a shot. The food was real good, the service was pleasant, ample portions/reasonable prices.

* “Sounds Of The Seasons”

And-no, I’m not talking about Summer, Autumn, Winter or Fall…I’m talking–Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons.

Long before there was a Jersey Boys’ show, Jeff Eats was a huge fan of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons…sheesh, I grew up on this group’s music!

Anyway…

On Friday-April 4, 2014 at 8pm–“Sounds Of The Seasons” a tribute to Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons will be at the Kings Point Theater in Delray Beach. This 90-minute show, covers both The Seasons/and Valli’s solo hits. Just so you know, Jeff Eats has seen the show and it is terrific. The production features a 5-piece band -fronted by Floridian-William Cintron who does a fabulous job in recreating the Valli-sound. Cintron is well known (in our-area) for being a member of such Florida groups as The N.Y.S.E. Guys, The Goldtones and The Kings & Queen Of Doo Wop. He also “plays” Dean Martin in the Florida “Rat Pack” tribute show.

Not to give away my age or nothing, but over the years…Jeff Eats has seen Cintron something like 10 times…and trust me on this one–this guy can really sing.

If you are a Valli-Four Seasons’ fan…If you liked the Jersey Boys—you will love “Sounds Of The Seasons”…Cintron and his group are fabulous entertainers–and will have you singing, clapping and maybe even dancing in the aisles…

Tickets:

Kings Point residents…$15.
Non Residents…$18.

You can check www.williecmusic.com and www.kingspointdelray.com for info/tickets. By the way, on www.williecmusic.com there are a bunch of videos which should give you a pretty good idea as to what “Sounds Of The Seasons” is all about.

* Ali Knew! Liston Didn’t Know! The Beatles Figured It Out!

With the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles’ 1964-American debut approaching, I thought you guys might enjoy reading what sportswriter Bob Lipsyte (2011) had to “say” about the day The Beatles met Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali) at his Miami Beach training camp…

Not trying to make this into a Beatles’ blog…but the way Jeff Eats sees it, The Beatles were a revolutionary “force” on American culture as was Muhammad Ali…amazing how these two iconic forces met purely by accident. Interesting that Sonny Liston didn’t see what-could be, nor did The Beatles (that’s right away) but a young brash underdog did!

“As I climbed the splintery stairs, there was a hubbub behind me. Four little guys around my age in matching white terry-cloth cabana jackets were being herded up. Someone said it was that hot new British rock group on their first American tour….A British photographer traveling with the Beatles had tried to pose them with Sonny Liston, but the champ had refused-“Not with them sissies,” he was supposed to have said-and now they were settling for a photo op with the challenger. At the top of the stairs, when the Beatles discovered that Clay had not yet arrived, John Lennon said, “Let’s get the fuck out of here.” But two huge security guards blocked their way and crowded them into an empty dressing room. I allowed myself to be pushed in with them, figuring to get a few funny quotes. Had I understood who those four little guys were, I might have been too shy to become, briefly, the fifth Beatle. But then I was also clueless about Clay. The Beatles were cranky in that damp dressing room, stomping and cursing. I introduced myself, rather importantly, I’m afraid, and they mimicked me. John shook my hand gravely, saying he was Ringo, and introduced me to Paul, who said he was John. I asked for their predictions. They said that Liston would destroy Clay, that silly little overhyped wanker. Then they ignored me to snarl among themselves again. Silly little overhyped wankers, I thought. Suddenly the locker room door burst open, and Cassius Clay filled the doorway. The Beatles and I gasped. He was so much larger than he looked in pictures. He was beautiful. He seemed to glow. He was laughing. “Hello there, Beatles!” he roared. “We oughta do some road shows together, we’ll get rich.” The Beatles got it right away. They followed Clay out to the boxing ring like kindergarten kids. You would have thought they’d met before and choreographed their routine. They bounced into the ring, capered, dropped down to pray that Clay would stop hitting them. He picked up Ringo, the bittiest Beatle. They lined up so Clay could knock them all out with one punch. They fell like dominoes, then jumped up to form a pyramid to get at Clay’s jaw. The five of them began laughing so hard their impromptu frolics collapsed. That photo op is a classic (Check YouTube; you might even see me.) After the Fab Four left, Clay jumped rope, shadowboxed, and sparred as his court jester, Drew Bundini Brown, hollered, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee, rumble, young man, rumble!” Afterward, stretched out on a dressing room table for his rubdown, Clay pretended to fall asleep as reporters asked him what he was going to do after he lost. Finally, a crabby old reporter from Boston said, “This whole act is a con job, isn’t it?” and Clay pretended to wake up and he said, “I’m making all this money, the popcorn man making money and the beer man, and you got something to write about. Your papers let you come down to Miami Beach, where it’s warm.” The Boston reporter shut up. I think that was the moment when I began to wish this kid wasn’t going to get his head knocked off, that somehow he would beat Liston and become champion or at least survive and keep boxing. He would have been such a joy to cover, I thought. Too bad he’s got no chance. Too bad he’s only passing through, a firefly fad like those Beatles. We could all have had a blast.”

***** Lemon Tree Café, 5463 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073, (954) 570-8822.

Lemon Tree Café…”neighborhood diner”–table/booth/counter seating.

Lemon Tree’s menu is loaded with breakfast stuff, sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, wraps, entrees.

You can check menu/prices/photos at www.thelemontreecafe.com.

Jeff Eats recently did “lunch”…cheeseburger/French fries ($7.95)–chicken Caesar wrap with sweet potato fries ($10.95)–Reuben melt with French fries ($8.95)…everything was A-OK.

Let me wrap Lemon Tree Cafe up for you–good solid diner food.

Based on lunch, a breakfast outing is definitely in the cards.

Lemon Tree Café is open Monday-Saturday 6:30am-9pm, Sunday 6:30am-4pm

* Across The Universe.

Real fast…

February 7th 2014 marks the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles’ 1964- arrival at NYC’s JFK International Airport…the band’s American debut-February 9, 1964 on the Ed Sullivan Show.

February & March 2014…all types of concerts/shows/events/television programming are scheduled commemorating that Anniversary!

Check-out… Across The Universe- www.acrosstheuniverseband.com—definitely one of South Florida’s best Beatles’ tribute/cover bands. Jeff Eats has seen them at least a 1/2 dozen times and they are GOOD!

In checking the band’s schedule, it has a handful of February & March-South Florida dates booked—and a number of the gigs are free shows.

***** Mediterranean Blue, 435 East Michigan Street, Orlando, Florida 32806, (407) 422-2583.

Got an absolutely terrific “fast-food” Greek joint for you…Mediterranean Blue- in Orlando. Free standing building- Order/pickup at counter–inside and outdoor patio seating.

Real simple menu–sandwiches, salads, handful of entrees/sides/desserts.

A recent outing had Jeff Eats doing…gyro ($6.70), falafel ($6.70), pastitsio ($10)-and I gotta tell you, the food was dynamite. No fooling around, one of the best gyros that I’ve eaten in Florida…the sliced beef/lamb was right on the money, as was the pita bread- and tzatziki.

You guys can check menu/prices/photos/other stuff at www.mediterraneanblue.net.

Mediterranean Blue is open Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm, closed on Sunday.

Johnny T.

* Miller, D’Amore, Johnny T., The Dubs.

This past Saturday night Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats saw an absolutely terrific 50’s-60’s concert at the Kings Point Theater in Delray Beach.

Just off the top of my head, I’m gonna figure that close to 1,000 people were in the audience.

The concert featured vocalists- Mike Miller, Michael D’Amore, Johnny T. and The Dubs.

For the record, both Mike Miller and Johnny T. are former members of The Mystics who back in the 60’s had the mega hit “Hushabye.” D’Amore in-Jeff Eats’-humble-opinion is one of America’s top lounge vocalists. The Dubs fronted by original first tenor -Cleveland Still had the 50’s-60’s mega hits “Could This Be Magic”–“”Don’t Ask Me To Be Lonely”–“Chapel Of Dreams.”

As I mentioned 14 seconds ago, this was a terrific concert. Handling the “music” was a talented group of musicians lead by South Floridian- guitarist/vocalist Bobby Nathan who over the decades has worked with such artists as Kiss, Stevie Nicks, Steve Winwood, Prince and David Bowie.

Tickets for this show were $15 for Kings Point residents, non residents $18.

From Jeff Eats’ e-mails, I know that loads of you guys…love OLDIES music. With that in mind, keep an eye on–the following sites, for future South Florida- “shows” that might be right up your alley.

Mike Miller…. www.harmonystreet.biz.
Michael D’Amore… www.michaeldamore.com,
Johnny T…. www.johnnytunes.com.
Bobby Nathan… www.bobbynathan.com

* The Beatles’ 50th Anniversary!

It’s hard to believe, but February 7, 2014 will mark the 50th Anniversary of The Beatles’ landing at New York’s- JFK International Airport aboard Pan Am Flight 101 from London…for those of you too young to remember The Beatles—GOOGLE AWAY!!!

All over America- from the “2014 Grammy Awards Show” to the “The David Letterman Show”…the month of February- will be loaded with concerts-events-parties honoring the “band” that “revolutionized” the world…for those of you too young to remember The Beatles—GOGGLE AWAY!!!

One- of coolest scheduled events—is going to be held on February 16th and 17th at the Deauville Beach Resort in Miami Beach.

Printed Below is a recent Press Release that describes the event/ticket prices/info.

Jeff Eats is planning on attending the February 16th concert.

*****

“Fifty years ago, The Beatles took America by storm performing at Carnegie Hall and on the Ed Sullivan Show three times. The second performance was recorded at the historic Deauville Beach Resort where The Beatles spent nearly a week in residence. Join us in celebrating this historic event with what Rolling Stone Magazine has called “The Best Beatles Tribute on Earth” – “1964” The Tribute….

Saturday February 15th AND Sunday February 16th at 7PM.

“1964” …The Tribute takes their audiences on a musical journey to an era in rock history that will live in all of our hearts forever. They are hailed by critics and fans alike as the most authentic and endearing Beatles tribute in the world. Choosing songs from the pre-Sgt-Pepper era, “1964” recreates an early 60’s live Beatles concert, with period instruments, clothing, hairstyles, and onstage banter.

They have been featured on such nationally televised programs as The CBS Early Show, Entertainment Tonight, PM Magazine, CNN, The USA Network, and TNN. “1964” has toured around the world performing at major concert venues such as Red Rocks in Denver, Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, Texas, Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City, Shea Stadium, and The Philharmonic in Liverpool, England as well as festivals, colleges, corporate events, and conventions.

Notably, “1964”performed at Carnegie Hall for an unprecedented 12th time on January 12, 2013. They will return to Carnegie for the 50th Anniversary celebration of The Beatles performances there.

“1964”…The Tribute is the only Beatles tribute band with a United States Federal Court order defining a written agreement with Apple Corps. Ltd. permitting them to perform their show anywhere in the world. Years of researching the Fab Four have made “1964” masters of their craft. Beatle boots, vintage costumes and equipment, onstage mannerisms and speaking voices, and the unmistakable harmonies of the lads from Liverpool make “1964” the most accurate and fun Beatles tribute to date.

“1964” is: Mark Benson as John Lennon, Mac Ruffing as Paul McCartney, Tom Work as George Harrison, and Bobby Potter as Ringo Starr.

“1964” will be performing in the Napoleon Ballroom (where The Beatles recorded the Ed Sullivan show). Immediately following the Saturday concert there will be a full banquet dinner in the Richelieu Ballroom.

Tickets for the concert are $64. Tickets for the banquet are $68 which includes a full dinner and two glasses of wine. Cash bar will be available. Special room rates have been arranged, so come and make a weekend out of it! Tickets for both concerts are available by calling 877-733-3130 or by clicking here:

https://tickets.completeticketsolutions.com/1964/Online/default.asp

Tickets for the Saturday banquet are available by calling Mark Johnson @ 970-948-6151

Special room rates are available at The Deauville. Please click here:

http://www.secure-res.com/res/vn4/checka.aspx?hotelid=1591

Enter strutpro in the Group Code Box, or call 800-327-6656 and mention Strut Productions for the rate.

Saturday will also feature special a special presentation by Andy Babiuk, author of the critically acclaimed book Beatles Gear presents a stunning multimedia presentation and lecture featuring over 100 rare photos and massive amounts of Beatle studio out take audio clips. His first hand anecdotes from practically everyone involved in the Beatles’ inner circle, are collected from over 400 interviews and eight years of research. With his amazing audio/ video presentation, Andy’s engaging and insightful lecture covers the history of band and their legendary instruments. If you’re a Beatles fan, this is one not to be missed! Tickets: $15

Please contact Mark Johnson @ 970-948-6151 or skyisle@sopris.net for additional information”

***** Jack & Mary’s Breakfast-Lunch, 2323 South Goldenrod Road, Orlando, Florida 32822, (407) 281-1113.

Jack & Mary’s…”neighborhood” mom & pop diner–counter seating, booths/tables. The joint is open Monday-Sunday 7am-2pm.

Cute name, but personally Jeff Eats would have gone with Jack & Jill…but then again, the owners are probably named Jack and Mary, and I guess Mary didn’t want to go through life known as Jill. Then again how cool would it have been to have named the joint Shlomo & Mary’s Breakfast-Lunch?

Anyway, now that I’ve killed some time…

Jack & Mary’s menu is loaded with breakfast stuff, sandwiches/burgers, soups/salads, hot lunch “specials.”.

Jeff Eats recently did “lunch”…rye patty melt with french fries ($6.65), chicken salad club sandwich with french fries ($6.25), bowl of chili/onions/cheese ($3.55)…

Good solid diner-food, reasonable prices, very pleasant service.