***** Kres Chophouse, 17 West Church Street, Oralndo, Florida 32801, (407) 447-7950.

Got an “upscale” Orlando steak joint for you, Kres Chophouse…just so you know, you’re gonna have to “lose” the shorts/tee shirts/flip flops for this one.

Before I get going here, check menu/prices at www.kresrestaurant.com.

A couple of weeks ago, Mrs. Jeffs Eats and I did-dinner at Kres Chophouse—Caesar salad ($7), Atlantic Swordfish ($26), 18oz. ribeye ($33), truffle fries ($9), sauteed broccolini ($7)…every dish was real-good. Service was unpretentious, the joint had a nice upscale feel to it (nothing overboard), the prices were “as expected” but nothing too terrible—entrees were sideless and ordered “sides” served-two.

Let me wrap Kres Chophouse up this way for you…

Jeff Eats has eaten in his fair share of “upscale” steak joints…Most of them, weren’t worth the time-energy-money that went into the experience. That wasn’t the case for Kres Chophouse, with me and Mrs. Jeff Eats agreeing that that the “meal” all in all was pretty decent. By the way, just for fun, who do you think ordered the steak and who ordered the swordfish? Talk about a no brainer!

Look, I could play food critic…and tell you that the ribeye was good but not as good as the “ones’ I’ve had at New York Prime (Boca Raton) or Morton’s (West Palm Beach) but, was better than the one I “got” at Ruth’s Chris (Boca Raton)…but, you guys know that Jeff Eats is so much more than being some “guy” who eats and then in the darkness of night analyzes the crap out of some piece of meat. The grading system around here-a joint gets 5 stars if Jeff Eats would return for a second outing and 0 stars if he wouldn’t. Kinda simple, don’tcha think?

For those of you- not following all of this…

I liked Kres Chophouse and I would definitely go back for a second outing.

Kres Chophouse is open Monday-Friday 11am-midnight, Saturday 5pm-midnight, closed on Sunday.

***** The New Planets *****

Yesterday afternoon Jeff Eats was one of the judges at the Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘n’ Roll Beer-B-Que…from 2:30pm-5pm yours truly and 4 other judges tasted all kinds of bbq chicken, ribs, brisket, pork dishes—I’ll tell you guys about the results in a future “story.”

Anyway…the event was absolutely terrific…not certain as to the exact number, but I wouldn’t be surprised, to learn that 3,000 or may-be even more-were out there “partying” with all of the bbq, beer, soft drink beverages, desserts that you could stuff your face with. There was also a huge stage, featuring live djs and bands.

Now to the point…

One of the bands that I caught, was The New Planets…a Cooper City quartet, that in addition to “originals” plays everything from The Beatles to The Doors–to Journey –Cold Play- to today’s groups/artists. Good? Nope, OUTSTANDING!…One of the best cover bands I’ve ever seen. Great singers, great musicians, great stage personalities. These 4 guys are the real deal.

Check www.thenewplanets.com for video/audio/playlist/schedule.

The New Planets play all over South Florida…you can catch them at casinos, clubs, restaurants and other “free” venues.

Trust me on this one, The New Planets are a very very special band…don’t miss them!

***** La Perrada Del Gordo, 2650 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach, Florida 33415, (561) 968-6978.

Got a “great” one for you guys…La Perrada Del Gordo–a Colombian fast-food hamburger/hot dog joint in West Palm Beach. Order at/pickup-counter. Very limited inside seating, but something like 7-8 4-tops outside. Open Sunday-Wednesday 11am-midnight, Thursday 11am-5am, Friday-Saturday 11am-6am. You can check menu/prices/tons of photos at www.laperradadelgordo.net.

A few seconds ago I called La Perrada Del Gordo “great”…Let me explain–Over the past 6 years or so, Jeff Eats has been in so-many different restaurants that “keeping” them all straight in my mind is a Herculian task (like that term!). To be perfectly honest with you, one bagel joint runs into another, one Chinese joint runs into another, one pizza joint runs into another—so on and so forth. Every so often, a joint like La Perrada Del Gordo comes along–and trust me here, Jeff Eats ain’t gonna forget it…let’s be honest, how many 62 year old yeshiva buchers from Cortelyou Road in Brooklyn ever walk into- no less eat at a small South Florida Colombian fast food hamburger/hot dog joint that stays open until 6am? I submit to you, very very few.

Anyway…the other night at 12:45am, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats gave La Perrada Del Gordo a shot. The joint’s menu is kinda simple- beef/chicken burgers. hot dogs, arepas and a handful of other items. Now some of you may-be saying…”Hey Jeff Eats, what’s a Colombian hamburger?” Then again, may-be you’re not. To be perfectly honest with you, I haven’t got the foggiest “idea” of what a Colombian burger or for that matter what a Colombian hot dog “is.” What I do know, is that I and Mrs. Jeff Eats ordered a beef burger, chicken burger, hot dog and french fries…the burgers were flat-topped grilled (and at the suggestion of the guy behind the counter) were topped with mustard, ketchup, tomato, lettuce, some kind of pink sauce, some kind of pineapple sauce and potato chips…the hot dog also grilled had mustard, potato chips and some kind garlic sauce. Good? Nope, right up there with the best fast food burgers/hot dog Jeff Eats has ever eaten. Messy? Yes, messy-big time! The french fries were real good-we did them with just plain old ketchup on them.

I loved La Perrada Del Gordo…maybe, if I was from Colombia or even New Jersey it would have been no big deal…but the whole experience was a real-blast.

I highly recommend that you give this joint a shot.

***** EVERYONE’S AN EXPERT *****

Yesterday, National Geographic issued its “America’s 10 Best Burgers” list:

10. Shake Shack (New York, Florida, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Washington D.C.)
9. 21 Club (NY)
8. Rare (NY)
7. Burgermeister (California)
6. Gott’s Roadside (California)
5. Burger Bar (California)
4. Lotaburger (New Mexico)
3. Big Nick’s Burgers & Pizza (New York)
2. In-N-Out-Burger (California, Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Utah)
1. The Apple Pan (California)

Now play along…When you “think” National Geographic are burgers the first thing that pops into your mind?—

I didn’t think so!

***** Vinny’s Cafe, 3013 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, (561) 988-9883.

First, I must say that Vinny’s Cafe in Boca Raton has one of the easiest telephone numbers to remember…988-9883.

Second, I am a long-time friend of the original owner–Vinny…based on the fact that a number of years ago he sold the “breakfast-lunch” joint to a guy that I don’t know, I feel that I can “issue” an honest review for Vinny’s even though on average I “see” Vinny (that’s the original one!) at least 5 times a month for breakfast. Trust me, it sounds more complicated than it really is.

Real easy concept at Vinny’s Cafe…order at/pickup at the counter. Menu is real simple…handful of breakfast sandwiches/wraps/omelettes, lunch wraps/sandwiches/paninis/salads. You can check menu/prices at www.vinnysalldaycafe.com.

Over the past year or so, Jeff Eats has probably been “in” Vinny’s something like 5 times…Mrs. Jeff Eats, Daughter Jeff Eats and Son Jeff Eats during the same time period– each-probably average double Jeff Eats’ number (for those not too hot in math, that’s 10 times each!).

Now, I maybe going out on a limb here, but I’m gonna rate Vinny’s Cafe as one of the best “fast food” salad/wrap/panini/sandwich joints in South Florida. Now, for sure—lettuce, cucumbers and bean sprouts aren’t exactly Jeff Eats’ “go-to”-foods, but I will tell you that Vinny’s chicken breast panini, turkey club, tuna salad wrap and chicken salad wrap are absolutely delicious. The beautiful thing about this real casual place is- that there are enough items on its menu to please a guy like Jeff Eats who’s looking for a BLT and Mrs. Jeff Eats and her kids who want to eat “healthy.”

Vinny’s Cafe is a great “concept.” It has loads of items to choose from and also- has a “make your own” salad/wrap deal going. Trust me, the list of “mix and match” stuff is huge! For the record, when my buddy Vinny (way back when) was telling me about the restaurant he was building, I thought he was nuts with the type of “food” he was looking to sell. Believe you me, I totally miscalculated how gigantic the salad/wrap marketplace really was.

Vinny’s Cafe is open Monday-Friday 8am-5pm, Saturday 9am-4pm, Sunday 11am-3pm…

Vinny was right on the “demand”–the joint is always jammed.

Just goes to show you, that despite what you guys may think, Jeff Eats doesn’t know everything.

***** Mr. Nice Guy *****

Recently saw “Mr. Nice Guy” an absolutely dynamite classic rock band (1960s-1970s-1980s) at the Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood.

Speaking of dynamite, comedian- Jimmy J.J. Walker of tv’s 1970’s “Good Time” fame, just released a dynamite “tell-all” book, “DY-NO-MITE, GOOD TIMES, BAD TIMES, OUR TIMES”—that I highly recommend that tv afficianados catch. But I digress…

Trust me on this, Mr. Nice Guy “plays” some of the best Beatles, Santana, Eagles, Joe Cocker, Zeppelin and Stones covers that you will hear.

Mr. Nice Guy often reffered to as “MNG” is a local South Florida sextet having formed in 2002. If the group’s recent Hard Rock appearance is any indication-it has an enormous fan base.

At this stage of the story you can check audio/video/info/schedule at www.mngband.com.

The really beautiful thing about Mr. Nice Guy…in addition to a steady twice a month gig at the Hard Rock, you can catch the group at various South Florida clubs, restaurants, casinos…usually “sans” a cover charge.

If you enjoy this type of music, do yourself a favor and catch Mr. Nice Guy in action.

***** SEMINOLE HARD ROCK ROCK ‘n’ ROLL BEER-B-QUE *****

Back on May 31 2012 Jeff Eats “ran” the story listed below.

Looks- like it’s going to be an awesome event. AND–Jeff Eats will be one of the judges.

When you read the Press Release- you’ll notice that ONLINE ADVANCE TICKETS were originally priced at $35…and, DAY OF TICKETS were priced at $45. Well, a few days ago, the sponsors lowered the ONLINE ADVANCE TICKETS to $25. If you want to buy tickets online–go to the event’s website-and put 10OFFGA in the PROMOTIONS CODE BOX and you’ll save yourself 10 bucks off that $35 ticket.

If this type of “thing” is your bag…hope to see you there!
*****

Don’t have all of the details yet…from what I “gather” there is going to be a huge outdoor BBQ-BEER-MUSIC event at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida on Saturday, June 30th from 4pm-8pm.

Take a look at the “press release” I just received. Let me do some further checking and I’ll update you guys with details.

This one looks like it–could really be fun!!

*****

Eat BBQ, listen to R&R, drink beer! (http://www.seminoleparadise.com/beerbque/index.html)

The second annual Seminole Hard Rock Rock ‘n’ Roll Beer-B-Que, presented by New Times, gets grilling on Saturday, June 30 and if you like to have your meat smoked you’re not going to want to miss out on this event.

From 4 – 8 p.m., over 40 of south Florida’s best barbeque restaurants will compete by showcasing their grilling skills. Best of all, you get to try as many as you can — and vote for your favorite.

But meat is just one part of this trifecta of flavor because there’s no such thing as a Beer-B-Que without beer! Feel free to sample beer from a variety of popular brands, as well as craft beers from micro-breweries. Beerfest 2012 winners Misfit Home Brewers will be among the top brewers pouring their wares at the Beer-B-Que.

While all this is going on, get your groove on and rock out to live music from several local bands.

Tickets for the Rock ‘n’ Roll Beer-B-Que are on sale now and only $35 in advance ($45 at the door). A limited number of prepaid VIP tickets will be available for $70, offering one-hour early admission, seating in the air-conditioned VIP tent, access to an open bar with wine provided by Rex Goliath, special entertainment, and more.

*****
June 22, 2012 UPDATE

The word of mouth about this event is really spreading. Based on what I’m hearing here in “food blogland” is that a crowd of between 2,500 -4,000 is expected. Don’t have exact ticket numbers, but a very reliable source told me that online sales have been excellent and assuming good-weather, “day of” ticket sales will be extremely strong.

If you check the event’s website you will find an updated list of “contenders.”

The way I see it, you really can’t go wrong spending $35-$45 for all the bbq you can eat–all the beer you can drink–all the Rock N Roll music you can hear. Just last night, Jeff Eats and Mrs. Jeff Eats and Son Jeff Eats ate at a sports bar. The bill $86 for 2 salads, 1 cheeseburger, 1 bbq steak sandwich, 1 chicken pot pie, 1 Coke and 3 beers. Get the picture? The only “negative” thing I see here, is the possibility of lousy weather. If the weather breaks the right way, this event is going to be an absolute homerun. By the way, I also heard that a “ton” of those $70 VIP tickets were sold. Not a bad deal, extra hour of partying–air-conditioned tent, open bar.

On the music front, I don’t have a complete list of the “entertainers” but, I understand that national recording artist and one of South Florida’s hottest bands “GHOST OF GLORIA” is scheduled as one of the headliners.

Oh! One other thing…Jeff Eats will be one of the judges.

**** Here’s a “gift” from Jeff Eats—if you want to buy your tickets online–enter 10OFFGA in the Promtions Code box and you’ll get 10 bucks off that $35 ticket.

Hope you guys can make it. AND if you aren’t a disgruntled restaurant owner, make it your business to say hello to me.

UPDATE: July 2, 2012
***** THE WINNERS *****

Here’s a list of the winners from the event Saturday:

Best Brisket: Bokampers

Best Ribs: Bokampers

Best Pork: Hard Rock Cafe

Best Chicken: Smokey Bones

Best Overall: Hard Rock Cafe

Most Unique: Whiskey Tango

Fan Favorite: Bokampers

***** Prestige Coupons *****

The other day in the mail, I got a FREE “discount” coupon book from a Boynton Beach based company named Prestige Coupons, 36 Meadows Place, Boynton, Beach, Florida 33436, (561) 573-8404.

To make a long story short, the coupon book had something like 100 coupons offering discounts at all kinds of businesses in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Deerfield Beach, Delray Beach, Lake Worth and Lighthouse Point. For our purposes, there were quite a few “restaurant” coupons–and I will tell you, coincidentally-a number of the restaurants had favorable Jeff Eats’ reviews.

If coupons are your game, it may pay to give Prestige Coupons a call or contact it at www.prestigecoupons.net and have your name put on its mailing list for future coupon books.

***** The Boulevard Restaurant & Gourmet Deli, 10961 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410, (561) 776-8700.

We’ve kinda discussed the neighborhood diner concept infinitum…the premise being, that every South Florida neighborhood has these breakfast/lunch joints and everyone has their favorite.

Was up in Palm Beach Gardens the other morning and stopped by The Boulevard Restaurant & Gourmet Deli. Did a challah french toast and western omelette breakfast.

Check www.boulevardgourmetdeli.com for menu/prices/photos.

The Boulevard does breakfast/lunch 7 days a week 6:30am-3pm. Its got the “requisite” tables/booth/counter seating—tons of breakfast stuff, salads, soups, sandwiches, burgers, meat/chicken/seafood specials, desserts—diner waitresses and reasonable prices. Not exactly sure how the word “GOURMET” fits in the joint’s name, but I will tell you, that I really enjoyed the breakfast and the super pleasant service.

The Boulevard which has been around for something like 15 years is a perfect “example” of what a neighborhood diner is all about. Just so you don’t think Jeff Eats is going senile-or something, I know I already told you about this joint on 1/20/10-just want you guys to really consider giving The Boulevard-a shot!

Let me close this one out by saying, that if I lived in The Boulevard’s neighborhood, it would definitely be on my “go to” diner list.

***** Nicola’s Donuts, 14390 North Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, Florida 33618, (813) 374-2396—-902 West Busch Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33612, (813) 932-1303.

I don’t know about you guys, but one of my favorite “meals” is a couple of donuts and a cup of hot coffee…to be perfectly honest, I really don’t know too much about coffee–I still remember cups going for a nickel and can’t wrap my arms around the $3-4-5 a cup that joints like Starbuck’s now fetch. On the other hand, donuts–I know. Just so we are straight, I’ve never really met a donut I didn’t like–but, I can definitely “differentiate” a top notch donut from a standard run of the mill donut.

A few weeks back, I was “up” in Tampa and stopped in at Nicola’s Donuts…

Nicola’s has been around since 1982 and has two locations…the joint makes donuts, cupcakes, muffins, turnovers. You can check menu/prices/photos/hours at www.nicolasdonuts.com.

Let me make this story short and sweet (pun intended)…Nicola’s makes some of the most delicious donuts that Jeff Eats has ever eaten. Not to bore you with every detail– I did a “takeout” dozen…glazed, apple fritter, plain cake, french creuller, cinnamon twist, chocolate sprinles—each and every donut was delicious.

You folks now know about a terrific donut joint in Tampa.