***** Marola’s Restaurant, 929 North University Drive, Coral Springs, Florida 33071, (954) 796-0544.

If you want to know about an absolutely terrific Italian joint…Marola’s Restaurant in Coral Springs–you gotta do me a favor and first- read Jeff Eats’ review of Fra Diavolo (Januray 9, 2007). Go ahead, I willl wait!

Now this may-be a bit convoluted…but I’ll get there.

Marola’s and Fra Diavolo are “some-how” owned and operated by the same folks. The ownership story is a bit confusing—so I’ll let you figure out who (or is it whom?) is related to who (or is it whom?). You can “read” Marola’s story and check menu/prices www.marolascoralsprings.com.

Over the years, I must have eaten at Fra Diavolo at least 15 times. The food has always been delicious…service has always been terrific…super-reasonable prices.

The other night…dinner at Marola’s “netted” me fried calamari,mozzarella fritta, penne alla vodka, veal parmigiana, zuppa di pesce, veal marsala. Now for the skinny—the food was delicious, the service was terrific and the prices were super-reasonable. For you Early Birders out there, like Fra Diavolo, Marola’s has a deal— EVERY entree on the menu comes with soup or caesar salad, dessert and coffee.

As I mentioned before, I’ve eaten in Fra Diavolo quite a few times—based on memory and my very sensitive tastebuds, I’d “say” that Marola’s food tastes just like Fra Diavolo’s stuff. A cursory review of both menus, tells me that Fra Diavolo has a bigger menu but Marola’s prices are a few bucks cheaper…for example Marola’s veal marsala goes for $16.95 and Fra Diavollo fetches $19.95. For the inquisitive, you can check Fra Diavolo’s menu/prices at www.fradiavolorestaurant.com.

Enough nitpicking…I really enjoyed Marola’s.

You now know about Marola’s and have been re-introduced to Fra Diavolo.

Marola’s is open for dinner- Sunday, Tuesday-Thursady 4:30pm-10pm, Friday-Saturday 4:30pm-11pm, for lunch Tuesday -Friday 11:30am-3pm. The joint is closed on Monday.

***** Isabella’s Pizza & Pasta, 1571 South Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316, (954) 767-2060.

Absolutely- loved Isabella’s Pizza & Pasta in Fort Lauderdale. Good “mom & pop” red sauce food, hole in the wall decor, cheap prices, big portions, casual, pleasant staff, delicious garlic knots.

Talk about casual…when you check www.isabellapizzapasta.com for menu/prices–take a gander at the “dining room” photo.

Isabella’s is open 7 days a week 11am-11pm.

A recent dinner had me “netting” veal parmigiana ($10.95 inlcudes pasta side), meat lasagna ($8.95), shrimp fra diavolo ($11.45 includes pasta side), eggplant rolatinni ($8.95 includes pasta side), large 16″ pizza ($10.95), penne ala vodka ($8.95)—everything was right on the money—with the thin crust pizza/sweet sauce getting a special shout-out…same goes for the garlic knots.

Isabella’s is about as “simple” as mom & pop Italian joints get. Everything I tried was “solid”…to be perfectly honest with you, I couldn’t find one item to bitch about.

Like I said before, I loved Isabella’s—this joint is definitely not for the haute-taute players.

***** China Gourmet, 1098 Hillsboro Boulevard, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441 (954) 428-8888.

China Gourmet…very good Chinese joint in Deerfield Beach, operative words here, VERY GOOD

Not sure if this is a trend—but I am finding that more and more South Florida Chinese joints—now. also have Japanese menus. So I guess, that China Gourmet is a “trendsetter” because it offers both Chinese and Japanese food. You can check both menus/prices at www.chinagourmet.info.

China Gourmet has been around for something like 40 years…kinda surprised that I hadn’t heard about it until 3-weeks ago…Anyway, using my “Jewish-Brooklyn” circa 1950 taste-test of- wonton soup, pan fried dumplings, bbq ribs, egg rolls, roast pork fried rice, sweet & sour chicken, pepper steak, General Tso’s chicken, shrimp in black bean sauce, vanilla ice cream, fortune cookie—I am happy to report, that China Gourmet’s food is very good.

Let me sum China Gourmet up for you—now follow me here…I enjoyed every dish that I had. With that in mind, no-one item totally knocked my socks off, like Bamboo Wok’s (review: 5/7/10) boneless ribs or pan fried dumplings…or Wingloon’s (review: 1/18/11) garlic chicken did. “Solid” is the best way to describe this joint. By the way, don’t let the GOURMET part of China Gourmet’s name throw you off, this is a neighborhood–mom & pop–combination plate specials galore- joint.

One final note, I didn’t try the Japanese stuff, afterall—this is really a Chinese restaurant.

China Gourmet is open Monday-Thursday 11:30-10pm, Friday 11:30am-10:30pm, Saturday 1pm-10:30pm, Sunday 3pm-10pm.

***** Bagel Wit A Schmear, 4251 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 416-2900.

Can’t believe I got done-in by a 10 year old kid last night. Was talking to this kid while waiting to pickup food and I asked him…”How many 4 cent stamps are there in a dozen?—and the kid says to me, “Is that a standard dozen or is that a baker’s dozen?”

Got a really-good bagel-deli joint for you—Bagel Wit A Schmear in Boca Raton. Talk about the consummate hole in the wall—one “card table” for 4 and 8 window counter stool seats, a couple of display cases, open baking/prep area…that’s the whole megillah—under construction, an outdoor patio that seats 16.

At this stage of the proceedings check www.bagelwitaschmear.com for menu/prices.

Bagel Wit A Schmear has been around for something like 1-year. It is owned/operated by husband/wife team, Jim & Patti Higgins—she runs the counter, he runs the back of the house.

Let’s talk food.

The joint has 7,000 different types of bagels…which are “made” the correct way, that being boiled and then baked. A recent taste test had me “doing” an- everything, sesame, garlic, onion, pupernickel, cheese (asiago) and french toast. All of them were A-OK…special shout-out to the french toast bagel—toasted at home with a drop of butter and maple syrup, off the chart.

In addition to bagels, bialys, flagels…Bagels Wit A Schmear bakes its own breads and muffins. The joint’s menu is loaded with various cream cheeses, breakfast dishes, salads, sandwiches, deli meats, soups. Just so you know, I “sampled” the chicken/tuna/whitefish salads—they were absolutely delicious.

Like I told you before, Bagel Wit A Schmear is a hole in the wall. There is very limited indoor seating…so don’t plan on bringing grandma, grandpa, Aunt Rosie, Uncle Saul, your wife (or husband) and your 3 kids there tomorrow for Mother’s Day. Then again—you could order stuff and eat at home.

You now know about a really good bagel-deli joint.

Bagel Wit A Schmear is open Monday-Saturday 7am-3pm and Sunday 7am-1pm.

One final note, a baker’s dozen of bagels runs $9.50.

***** The X Factor *****

Got an interesting deal for you guys.

If you “follow” American Idol—you know that this past season, judge Simon Cowell left the show. You also know, that this coming FALL on Fox, he is introducing his new show, The X Factor-a singing competition. This show has been getting a huge buzz…Run a search on The X Factor and you will find tons of articles about this show, Cowell and everything in-between. This tv-show is already a major hit in Europe and FOX is betting that the U.S. version will be a ratings blockbuster.

Anyway…on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 1pm and 6pm at the BankUnited Center, 1245 Dauer Drive, Coral Gables, Florida 33146, Cowell and cast are going to tape two-episodes.

Now, if this kinda stuff is you game, you can get up to four- FREE tickets to attend each of the tapings. All you gotta do, is go to On Camera Audiences at www.on-camera-audiences.com and enter an order.

***** Mugs Sports Grill, 2671 East Oakland Park Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306, (954) 566-7782.

Mugs Sports Grill… decent food, booze, reasonable prices, flat screen tvs galore.

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

Mugs is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-2am, Friday-Saturday 11am-3am.

***** Ho Ho Restaurant, 6592 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33446, (561) 498-9266.

Ho Ho Restaurant is a neighborhood-no frills Chinese-Japanese joint located in Delray Beach. Its menu is divided into two-parts, Chinese and Japanese. You can check menu/prices at www.hohochineserestaurant.com.

Absolutely-positively nothing fancy here. Decent enough food at reasonable prices…plenty of combination dishes.

Of note, back in Brooklyn circa 1950s-1960s (if memory serves me correctly), there were no combo-restaurants…there were loads of Chinese joints, but to be perfectly honest with you, can’t recall-even one Japanese joint. Today, it’s a whole other story—sushi etc. are in vogue and Japanese joints are all over the place. In the Ho Ho case, I’d bet, that the owners are Chinese and that the Japanese menu is a-way to play both markets.

Now back to the food—applying the “Jewish-Brooklyn” Chinese taste-test– Ho Ho would not have been a major player in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Like I said before, decent enough food, but nothing out of the ordinary.

Just so you know, I did wonton soup, egg rolls, fried dumplings, bbq ribs, roast pork fried rice, General Tso’s chicken, lobster in black bean sauce, sweet & sour chicken. Everything was ok…but my neigborhood takeout joint does them-all better. On the Japanese side of the ledger, miso soup and shrimp tempura roll. Like its Chinese bretheren, ok—but nothing great.

To sum it up…Ho Ho is a neighborhood joint. The food is ok.

Ho Ho is open 7 days a week 11am-10pm.

***** Dragon City Mandarin House Restaurant, 6708 Stirling Road, Hollywood, Florida 33024, (954) 894-8393.

I love good “Brooklyn Jewish” Chinese food. Old Jeff Eats was born in Brooklyn (1949)—with that in mind… to me, a perfect Chinese meal includes dishes “like” wonton/egg drop combo soup, egg rolls, fried dumplings, bbq ribs, roast pork fried rice, sweet & sour pork, General Tso’s chicken, lobster in black bean soup, pepper steak, pistachio ice cream, fortune cookie. Not really into—“real”-“authentic”-Chinese food like, jellyfish, eel, duck tongues, shark fins…Like I said, Brooklyn Jewish is my game.

The other night I had dinner at Dragon City in Hollywood. This joint has dynamite Brooklyn Jewish. It also has real-authentic stuff…so everyone can play here. Just so you know, Dragon’s got TWO menus. One for us Brooklyn guys and one for–shall we say, the adventurous crowd.

If you are looking for fancy schmanzy forget about it. This is a neighborhood Chinese joint. It’s kind of run-down looking…but don’t be a-scared, the food–at least–the Brooklyn Jewish stuff was delicious. To be perfectly honest with you, I couldn’t find even one-dish to bitch about. Sorry can’t comment on the jellyfish or eel because…not my game.

This joint is a homerun.

I’m gonna assume that the “real-authentic” dishes are as good as the phony-Chinese stuff that I stuffed my face with.

Dragon City is open Monday-Friday 11am-3am, Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday noon-2am.

***** Flip Burger Bar, 1699 Northeast 123rd Street, North Miami, Florida, 33181, (305) 741-3547.

Let me make this one short and simple…I absolutely loved Flip Burger Bar located in North Miami.

Think- burgers, fries, hot dogs, wings, 2,000,000 types of beers, flat screen tvs
and you’ll have the picture.

My bacon cheeseburger/sauteed onions/mushrooms (8oz-$9.75) and fries (small-$3) were delicious. Nothing fancy-schmantzy in what is essentially a neighborhood “bar.”

Check menu/prices at www.flip-burgerbar.com.

One quick observation, “upscale burger” joints are-now the latest American craze. Eventually this “business” or shall we call it a fad, is going to play musical chairs and a ton of these outposts are gonna fail. As a huge burger-fan, old Jeff Eats will enjoy the game for as long as it lasts…knowing-that no matter what happens, the Five Guys 3-minutes from my house will be around for a very-long time.

Flip Burger Bar is open Tuesday-Wednesday 5pm-10pm, Thursday-Friday 5pm-11pm, Saturday noon-11pm, Sunday 1pm-10pm, closed on Monday.

***** House of Bagels & Bialys, 14449 South Dixie Highway, Miami, Florida 333176, (305) 251-8666.

House of Bagels & Bialys is a “bagel-deli”—the joint is located in Miami—House is open Monday-Saturday 6am-6pm and Sunday 6am-4pm…maybe 10 counter-stools inside-outside maybe 6 tables.

The joint’s menu– breakfast stuff, sandwiches, knishes, salads, NY style deli pastries.

As expected, something like 20 million types of bagels. Absolutely loved the “everything” and “onion.” The joint also makes a real-nice bialy. As for the “tested” pastrami, corned beef, chicken salad—pretty standard goods!