The Mar-a-Lago Club

Boca Raton Hotel & Resort, 501 East Camino Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (888) 543-1277.
The Mar-a-Lago Club, 1100 South Ocean Boulevard, Palm Beach, Florida 33480, (561) 832-2600.

Got something a little different for you guys…

Over the past 6 months, I and Mrs. Jeff Eats have attended several “major” catered functions at both the Boca Raton Resort & Club and The Mar-a-Lago Club. To “protect” the innocent, I’m not going to go into what type of events they were, but these were big “blow-out” affairs with heavy duty decorations, orchestras, djs, suits/ties, gowns, tuxedos.

If this isn’t your bag, no problem—I’ll catch you tomorrow.

To make this as short as possible…many South Floridians consider the Boca Raton Resort & Club and The Mar-a-Lago to be two of the “best” catering facilites in the State, not to mention the country. For the record, The Mar-a-Lago Club is owned by Donald Trump. Boca Raton Resort & Club is owned by Boca Resorts Inc. who acquired it from Wayne Huizenga in 2004.

Ever go to a wedding, bar/bat mitzvah, or other fancy party where the food and service stunk?

Now for sure…a good orchestra, a good dj, good decor, a good crowd–can make a party loads of fun. That said, every affair that I’ve attended at the Boca Raton Resort & Club and The Mar-a-Lago Club “featured” lousy food and piss poor service. Just so we are straight, I’m talking LOUSY and PISS POOR– now, I’m ball-parking here, but I’ll bet you that in my 62 years I’ve attended over 250 “big” events and Mrs. Jeff Eats and I have personally made 5- down here in South Florida alone. I think it’s fair to say, that the food/service at the Boca and Mar parties were right up there with the worst of the worst.

Anyway…you now know about 2 joints not to have a big party at.

By the way, is Trump still running for President?

Remember HYPE doesn’t necessarily make something good.

***** BUNGALOW BAR–VS–GOOD HUMOR *****

As a kid growing up in Brooklyn (1950s-1960s) at 811 Cortelyou Road Apt. 6M—two ice cream “trucks” Bungalow Bar and Good Humor competed on a daily basis for “us” kids’ business. When I think back on those days, I can’t believe that ice cream bars were 5 & 10 cents, pizza was 15 cents a slice, a small coke was a nickel, a hamburger was 20 cents, french fries were a dime, a haircut was 50 cents, for 50 cents you got to watch two movies and three-four cartoon shorts and a gallon of gasoline was going for 20 cents a gallon…I also remember my mother “buying” me and my brother an encyclopedia–one book every week for $1 until the set was completed from the local Waldbaum’s Supermarket. Crazy as it may sound to “youngters” out there- but every couple of blocks, there was a candy store, local market, bar, bakery, diner…back then most families only had 1- car, there were no shopping malls and kids either walked to school or rode the public bus which was 15 cents and the bus driver made change for you. There was no Starbucks-Costcos-Walmarts-Targets-Wendys—but there were plenty of Chock Full O’ Nuts, Nedicks, Ebingers. There were no soda machines that let you mix 100 different Coke flavors, but all of the candy stores had soda fountains and ice coolers which you stuck your hand into- and searched the freezing cold water for the bottle you wanted.

This one is open to everyone.

Tell Jeff Eats of days long past.

***** TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE *****

Two really good restaurants and two really good singing groups…

Gamaroff’s Bar & Grill in Hallandale Beach (reviewed:3/23/12) is going to have Joey Dale & The Gigolos (reviewed:2/8/12) on Wednesday night, April 25, 2012… reasonably priced delicious steaks, burgers, seafood, chicken—meets a terrific doo-wop/rock n’ roll quartet. There is no cover and you don’t even have to buy a thing to enjoy the show. If you are a fan of The Duprees, The Passions, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge–you will absolutely positively love Joey Dale & The Gigolos.

NYY Steak in Pompano Beach (reviewed:2/15/12) is going to have The Motown Philly Express Band (reviewed:1/30/12) on Thursday night, May 18, 2012…NYY located in the Seminole Casino complex- is an upscale steak joint that makes some of the best steaks and seafood that you will ever eat. NYY’s bar/lounge will host The Motown Philly Express Band-who will have you “thinking” that The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles and The Temptations are in the house. There is no cover charge and you don’t even have to buy dinner.
*****
I absolutely loved Gamaroff’s food, super reasonable prices and huge portions. Based on past Joey Dale & The Gigolos’ performances, Wednesday night April 25th should be a homerun. This is one of the premier doo-wop groups in South Florida–recent appearances include the Broward Center and Coral Springs Arts Theatre.

I also loved NYY Steak’s food. Just so you know, this “one” wasn’t a cheap date, but the food was absolutely delicious. As for The Motown Philly Express, I have seen this band in action three times and they were outstanding. I am telling you, you’ll swear that Smokey Robinson is actually singing Tears Of A Clown and The Temptations are singing Just My Imagination.

You now know about two great “nights” where you can spend or not spend—and have a real great time.

***** Hurricane Cafe, 14050 US Highway 1, Juno Beach, Florida 33408, (877) 775-2559.

For our purposes we’re gonna call Hurricane Cafe in Juno Beach a “neighborhood” diner. The joint’s got indoor table/booth/counter seating–it also has an outdoor patio with a handful of tables. Your shorts/tee shirt/flip flops’ ensemble will work well there. Before you head over to Hurricane’s website www.hurricanecafejuno.com for menu/prices– you should know, that unlike many of its South Florida bretheren, Hurricane doesn’t close at 3pm–in fact it’s open 7 days a week from 7am-9pm doing breakfast/lunch/dinner. By the way, the website has a photo of the joint–like they say one photo is worth a thousand words-so you’ll know exactly what’s what.

A few days ago I “did” Hurricane for a breakfast…western omelette, banana praline french toast—both were delicious.

Hurricane Cafe is my kinda of a joint…nothing fancy going on here–just solid food. For those of you who need to know right this minute, Hurricane’s menu is loaded with all kinds of breakfast stuff, salads, sandwiches, wraps, individual pizzas, meat/chicken/seafood entrees.

As I just mentioned a few seconds ago, my outing was basically a two dish breakfast. Sorry, I can’t give you the skinny on lunch and dinner offerings–what I can tell you, is that several “local” diners told me that the joint’s salads and wraps were terrific–and singled out the yankee pot roast for special mention. Now, I know–that asking total strangers for opinions about the food-is sort of like asking total strangers leaving a movie what they thought of the picture–suffice it to say, the strangers I asked “looked” like they knew what good food was all about.

We are going to leave this one with this…

Based on the fact that I’ve eaten in tons of “mom & pop” diners, my recent breakfast and the opinions of total strangers who “looked” like they knew what good food was all about—the bet here, is that you’ll enjoy Hurricane Cafe’s food whether it be breakfast, lunch or dinner.

If you eat at Hurricane Cafe, please write me and let me know if that yankee pot roast call was right. By the way, one of the strangers “polled”- picked ‘Godfather’ and ‘Godfather II’ as her favorite pictures, one said that ‘Herbie The Love Bug’ and ‘A Nightmare On Elm Street’ were his favorites and one picked ‘Gone With The Wind’ and ‘Snakes On A Plane’ as her best films —so there!

***** Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill, 185 East Indiantown Road, Jupiter, Florida 33477, (561) 746-6798.

When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn my parent’s favorite neighborhood Chinese restaurant was Joy Fong’s on Avenue J—now I’m just guessing here, but I’ll bet you that between 1949-1966 (the year Jeff Eats started college) I, my brother, my father and my mother must have eaten in that joint something like 600 times. Now, most non-Jews (the goyim) back then, thought that “us” Jews lit candles on Friday nights—au contraire, “us” Reform Brooklyn Jews were either stuffing our faces in/or getting takeout deliveries from the Joy Fong’s of the world. Back then we didn’t call it Chinese food, we use to say we were going out for C@@@@@—(And you thought that Jeff Eats wasn’t politically correct, didn’t you?) The point I’m trying to drive home here, whether right or wrong, Joy Fong’s “food” is as far as I’m concerned the gold-standard for neighborhood Chinese joint food. Maybe a better way to explain “this”—when I eat matzo ball soup-I compare the ball at hand–in texture, consistency and flavor to the ones that my mother made.

Now that I’ve filled some space and killed some of your time, I recently had dinner at Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill in Jupiter. Now based on my Brooklyn Jewish Chinese Joy Fong’s standards I gotta tell you, this joint makes some pretty good food.

Here’s what I “sampled”—egg rolls, pan fried pork dumplings, bbq ribs, roast pork fried rice, chicken chow mein, sweet & sour pork, general tso’s chicken (no spice), shrimp with lobster sauce. As for the test results, the egg rolls, dumplings, ribs were delicious—same for the fried rice and general tso’s chicken…as for the sweet & sour pork, chicken chow mein and shrimp with lobster sauce–good, but if memory serves me right, Joy Fong’s stuff was better.

Now for the kicker here—in early 1967 my parents, my brother and I discovered Pine Gardens (which morphed into Wong Kee) in NYC’s Chinatown which made Joy Fong’s food look like rookieville. Since Pine Gardens/Wong Kee were so phenomenal, I don’t use “them” as yardsticks, because to this very date, I haven’t found any joint that makes better food.

Let me wrap this story up this way…Hong King Wok N’ Grill is a real good Chinese restaurant. If you live or work in Hong’s neighborhood give it a shot—I enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Hong Kong Wok N’ Grill is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 4pm-10pm.

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

***** Elevation Burger, 2908 University Drive, Coral Springs, Florida (954) 796-1999.

Elevation Burger…for our purposes- small fast food “upscale” burger chain (currently in 10 states) with 5 Florida locations.

You know and I know that this burger-craze thing can’t go on forever. Literally, it seems that every day or so a new “brand” opens somewhere in South Florida. No need to list the major players, you know who they are.

Anyway…Elevation Burger’s “hook” is that its hamburger meat is “organic” and that its fries are done in olive oil. To be perfectly honest with you, Jeff Eats’ burger/fries game is based on TASTE—does the stuff taste good. Now for you guys who are into “eating healthy or at least healthier”—you can go to Elevation’s website www.elevationburger.com and read its story/menu-prices.

Now let’s get down to brass tacks…

Last week I ate lunch at the Elevation Burger joint in Coral Springs. Did just a basic Jeff Eats’ lunch—cheeseburger/french fries/Coke. Now nothing for nothing, the burger and fries were as good, if not better than the stuff I’ve had at “players” like Five Guys, BurgerFi and Shake Shack. To be perfectly honest–I have absolutely no idea if Elevations’ delicious burger “resulted” because some cow in Nebraska was hand fed organic grass by some leprechaun-or whatever! What I do know, is that the cheeseburger was dynamite-same for the fries. I also know that I would definitely eat at Elevation Burger again…and unless I’m totally missing something, the Coral Springs’ franchisee has accomplished his mission here, that being having made Jeff Eats a satisfied customer.

Like I said a few seconds ago, my game in burger/fries is TASTE…and Eleavtion’s food tasted real-good.

Elevation Burger is open Sunday-Friday 11am-9pm, Saturday 11am-10pm.

Table 42 Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar, 399 Southeast Mizner Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 826-2625.

In recent months a number of people have been telling me about how terrific the food at Table 42 Italian Kitchen & Wine Bar in Boca was.

So…last night, I, Mrs. Jeff Eats and our dog Jiggy “went” to Table 42 planning on trying the food on the joint’s outside patio.

To make a long story short, the hostess and manager refused to seat us- raising “questions” about what a SERVICE DOG “is”. For right now, I’m not going to get-into all kinds of legal mumble jumble—what I do know, is that the manager HAD ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT TO INSIST THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT TO SEE STATE ISSUED PAPER DOCUMENTATION proving that a dog is a service dog. When this young man was advised of this, he became a “real wise guy” snotty jackass.

Trust me on this…I and my wife do a “ton” of eating out with our dog. Now- we know that Jiggy isn’t what most would classify as a service dog—but we also know, that a restaurant has no right whatsoever to make a customer produce written documentation proving that a dog is a service dog.

Just a small footnote, Jeff “Eats” is a graduate of The Brooklyn Law School class of 1973–and a member of the bars of New York, New Jersey, Florida and the Supreme Court of the United States of America (yeah! that’s the same one currently deciding the Obama Care case)…so just maybe, I know something about the topic at hand or at least know how to read a statute, regulation or law.

For the record,
Take a look at Paragraphs #1 and especially #3 contained in a Directive issued by the US Departartment of Justice:
U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Disability Rights Section

COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT SERVICE ANIMALS IN PLACES OF BUSINESS

1. Q: What are the laws that apply to my business?

A: Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), privately owned businesses that serve the public, such as restaurants, hotels, retail stores, taxicabs, theaters, concert halls, and sports facilities, are prohibited from discriminating against individuals with disabilities. The ADA requires these businesses to allow people with disabilities to bring their service animals onto business premises in whatever areas customers are generally allowed.

3. Q: How can I tell if an animal is really a service animal and not just a pet?

A: Some, but not all, service animals wear special collars and harnesses. Some, but not all, are licensed or certified and have identification papers. If you are not certain that an animal is a service animal, you may ask the person who has the animal if it is a service animal required because of a disability. However, an individual who is going to a restaurant or theater is not likely to be carrying documentation of his or her medical condition or disability. Therefore, such documentation generally may not be required as a condition for providing service to an individual accompanied by a service animal. Although a number of states have programs to certify service animals, you may not insist on proof of state certification before permitting the service animal to accompany the person with a disability.

Anyway…Jeff Eats won’t be eating at Table 42 real soon.

Finally, to Table 42’s owner, folks like that manager and hostess can ruin an owner’s business-real fast.

***** Olde Dixie Fried Chicken, 5925 South Orange Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32809, (407) 855-0681.

One of my favorite foods is FRIED CHICKEN…

I know all about the “supposed” health hazards—but I still love fried chicken. In our immediate neck of the woods, for the past 20 years-my monthly “fast food fried chicken fix” (try and say that one fast 5 times) has been handled by Fran’s Fried Chicken (Boca Raton) or Maryland Fried Chicken (Pompano Beach). If I’m really hurting, I’ll do Kentucky Fried Chicken (Boca Raton) or Publix Super Market (Boca Raton).

Anyway…a few weeks ago, I had lunch at Olde Dixie Fried Chicken in Orlando. This is a free standing “fast food” joint—order at the counter/they bring food to your table. From what I understand, Olde Dixie which only accepts cash has been around for 50 years. Based on the formica tables counter/cooking areas, outdoor bathrooms–the bet here, is that Olde Dixie hasn’t been spruced up since it first opened. Real interesting, the outside signage features a big chicken wearing a confederate soldier’s cap…Hey, you do know-don’t you, that Florida seceded from the Union on January 10, 1861?

Now the food…right up there with the best fried chicken Jeff Eats has ever eaten. Not sure how they make it, but the skin was lightly coated with batter and the chicken was moist/tender…sort of like a broasted chicken. In addition to fried chicken, they got stuff like fried fish and fried shrimp…but the game here is fried chicken. Old Dixie also has really good crinkle cut French fries. As expected, they sell the chicken by “dinners”-“buckets” “barrels”–and the chicken comes with those crappy rolls that every takeout fried chicken joint in the world uses.

So what do we got here?

Olde Dixie Fried Chicken–a time warp joint that makes amazingly delicious fried chicken and fries. The joint is open Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm, Sunday 10am-8pm.

***** Under The Streetlamp *****

Just got an email from the Parker Playhouse…

If this kind of music is your bag, go to Parker’s website www.parkerplayhouse.com and do what you got to do.

I’ve seen “these” guys and they put on a great show.

Tickets go on sale to the General Public on April 13, 2012…so, you got a shot to get some great seats before the crowd starts hitting the website.
——————–
Broward Center and PBS-TV WPBT Channel 2 present

Under the Streetlamp
Parker Playhouse • Sunday, May 20, 2012 • 7:00 PM

Take four leading cast members from the Tony Award-winning Jersey Boys and a playlist of favorite songs from The Drifters, The Four Seasons, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Motown and more and you have Under the Streetlamp, America’s hottest new vocal group. With the rapport of a modern day Rat Pack, slick synchronized dance moves, tight harmonies, and a seven-piece band, Under the Streetlamp is packing concert halls everywhere and finding new fans from their popular recent PBS special.

They have been featured on Broadway; in film and television; and showcased on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Emmy Awards and The Oprah Winfrey Show, keeping the classic hits of the American radio songbook alive and introducing them to new audiences everywhere. From “Rock ‘n’ Roll is Here to Stay,” “At Last,” “Pretty Woman,” and “Devil in Disguise,” to “Blue Moon,” “Sh-Boom,” “Twist and Shout,” and more, the hit parade is all delivered in the inimitable Under the Streetlamp style.

Enter the promotional code CLASSIC to buy tickets now before the public on sale!

***** Beefy King, 424 North Bumby Avenue, Orlando, Florida 32803, (407) 894-2241.

Was up in Orlando the other day…and had a fast food lunch at Beefy King. Like most of you, I’d never heard of this joint–but its been around since 1968…as a point of reference, in 1968 I was a sophmore at Ithaca College, weighed 162 lbs and wore a size 32 waist pants. Anyway…stepping inside was like going back in time. Not 100% sure on this, but my money says that this joint hasn’t been remodled since it first opened. Anyway…two “townies” who were on line, told me that the joint was famous for its steamed roast beef, pulled pork and tater tots. So, when it came my time to order, Jeff Eats ordered pastrami-corned beef sandwiches and onion rings—just kidding.

Beefy King does…roast beef/ham & cheese/turkey/pastrami/corned beef/bbq pork/bbq beef Kaiser roll sandwiches, handful of salads, handful of sides, milkshakes.

For the record, the roast beef/pulled pork sandwiches were amazingly delicious…same for the crispy tater-tots.

Now nothing for nothing, in deciding if you are going to trust my taste buds on this “outing”—keep in mind, that I am and have always been a huge Arby’s fan.

I loved the food. I loved the nostalgic signage/decor.

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

Defintely strange for a free standing fast food joint…it’s only open Monday-Friday 10am-3pm, Friday 11am-3pm, closed on Sunday.