***** Joe’s Cafe, 1913 Cordova Road, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316, (954) 760-5637.

Joe’s Cafe is a STOREFRONT DINER-counter-table-booth seating, as opposed to a neon lit-jumbo jet sized-freestanding roadside building. NY and NJ got tons of both. Florida doesn’t. I’m gonna assume you know what I’m talking about.

Anyway…Joe’s Cafe is as close to a “real” NYC diner as you will find. The joint is open 7 days a week 7am-10pm and has a humongous menu that covers every appetizer, salad, breakfast item, sandwich, burger, meat/seafood/chicken entree, pasta, wrap, dessert known to man…Joe’s also has the obligatory or is it mandatory- handul of Greek stuff like gyros, kebobs and souvlaki. You can check the menu/prices at www.myjoescafe.com.

I recently did breakfast and lunch…trying, western omelette ($7.95), french toast ($6.95), chocolate chip pancakes ($6.95), patty melt (toasted rye-swiss cheese-burger-grilled onions/french fries $8.95), triple decker chicken salad sandwich ($8.95). Like I said before this is a d i n e r…and the stuff I had, was as good as the stuff I use to get at George’s-my favorite Brooklyn storefront diner.

For you historians out there… Joe’s Cafe is the second-coming of Joe Belair’s Diner a 1950’s diner which was demolished about 10 years ago to make way for yet- another, very-needed Walgreens.

Like I said before, open 7 days a week 7am-10pm.

If you like diners-and who doesn’t (now I’m sounding like Dice Clay)?– you’ll like Joe’s.

***** Sophia’s Pizzeria Restaurant, 760 Riverside Drive, Coral Springs, 33071, (954) 796-0405.

Sophia’s Pizzeria is a “mom & pop–red sauce” Italian joint located in Coral Springs. Not gonna bother describing the “decor”…cause if you are over the age of 15 days, you know exactly what joints like this look like. Sophia’s is owned by Agostino and Vilma, she runs the front of the house and he’s the cook…excuse me, the chef. How the name Sophia gets into this plot–not sure.

Anyway…if you live or work in Coral Springs, you got a winner in your neighborhood.

I recently did a dinner—veal parmigiana ($16.95), chicken cacciatore ($14.95), chicken scarpariello ($15.95), shrimp scampi (16.95), large plain pizza ($11.95) and the food was very-good. Now, old Jeff’s chicken “preference” is that cacciatore and scarpariello be–on the bone…but I will tell you, that the Sophia’s boneless chicken dishes were standouts. Entrees come with choice of soup or salad, pasta side and garlic rolls.

Sophia’s has a real nice menu. Loads of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, calzones, strombolis, pizzas, subs, meat/seafood/chicken entrees. You can get details at sophiapizzeriarestaurant.com

Over the years I’ve eaten in so many “mom & pop red sauce” Italian joints that sometimes things get a bit blurry…when I try to remember stuff like who’s got top shelf pizza, calamari, veal parm, garlic rolls, etc. I’ll remember Sophia’s as a real good joint, because it’s owned by — Agostino and Vilma.

Sophia’s is open Tuesday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10:30pm, Sunday noon-9:30pm, closed on Monday.

***** Big Foot Gyro & Subs, 2970 Griffin Road, Dania Beach, Florida 33312, (954) 961-1160.

This joint’s name…Big Foot Gyro & Subs- should give you a “hint” as to what this order at/pickup at the counter- free standing-hole in the wall restaurant is all about.

Check www.bigfoot4u.com for menu/prices/photos.

Big Foot has the expected full-boat of hot/cold subs…the kicker, it also has a load of Greek salads-plates, gyros and pita sandwiches.

A recent outing had me doing…chicken salad sub (large-$7.49), meatloaf sub (large- $7.49), gyro sub (large-$8.50), chicken gyro on pita bread ($6.99), steak/onion/peppers sub (large-$8.49)…every sandwich was delicious. Great fillings and fresh baked bread.

This is one of the best sub joints that I have been in–down here in old South Florida. Throw in the Greek “spin” and this joint is a big-winner.

Big Foot is open Monday-Friday 7am-7pm, Saturday 7am-3pm, closed on Sunday.

***** Kona Bay Cafe, 310 East Ocean Avenue, Lantana, Florida 33462, (561) 429-3606.

Kona Bay Cafe is a super casual-beachy decor “breakfast-lunch” joint…that has counter & inside table /outside patio seating. Check www.konabaycafe.com for menu/prices and pictures that will “tell” you exactly what this joint looks like. Bathing suits are considered dresswear.

On the food front…nice, but not overly large-selection of breakfast-stuff (which is served all day). The lunch menu (like the breakfast menu, not overly large) has salads, wraps, sandwiches. A recent breakfast had me doing…a short stack of apple cinnamon pancakes ($4.95), a short stack of chocolate chip pancakes ($4.45), strawberry stuffed French toast ($6.45), western omelete ($7.95)—everything was just right.

Kona Bay is open 7 days a week for breakfast & lunch.

***** S & S Diner, 1757 Northeast 2nd Avenue, Miami, Florida 33132, (305) 373-4291.

S & S Diner is a REAL DINER…the joint has been around since 1938, has no booths or tables…customers sit at an 18 seat horseshoe counter. This is a cash only joint. The only thing that “tells” you that it’s 2010 is a flat screen tv…and of course the prices—no 5 cent coffee.

The way I figure it, if a joint has been around for something like 72 years, just maybe it’s doing something right–don’t ya think?

S & S does breakfast, lunch, early dinner…pleny of breakfast stuff, sandwiches, burgers, salads and “daily specials” like meatloaf and turkey.

Like I said before–real diner. Nothing fancy here…just solid good diner food.

S & S is open Monday-Friday 6am-6pm and Saturday-Sunday 6am-2pm.

***** Corelino’s Coal Oven Pizza & Cucina, 6346 Lantana Road, Lake Worth, Florida 33463, (561) 968-8200.

Last night, I had dinner at Corelino’s Coal Oven Pizza & Cucina…the joint is brand new–it just opened last Wednesday night. Corelino’s seats something like 160, with both indoor and outdoor patio seating. You can check menu/prices at www.corelinoscoaloven.com.

Let me make this one simple…I thought that Corelino’s was absolutely terrific. The food and service were outstanding…the prices super reasonable.

Over the years. I’ve eaten in tons of coal oven and “regular” pizza joints. I gotta tell you– Corelino’s ranks right up there with the best of them.

Last night I did a house salad ($6 enough for 2), plain large pizza (16″- $11), coal oven wings (10-with french fries-$8.50), philly steak hero ($7.50-with french fries), jojo pollo (2 grilled chicken breasts with vegetables/roasted potatoes-$13), dessert sampler (mini pastries & cake-$10) and the food was absolutely delicious.

Trust me on this one, the food is right up there with the best stuff served by your favorite coal oven/Italian joint. Of note, all of the desserts are made in house. The mini pastries were right on the money and the chocolate cake could prove to be addictive.

There really isn’t too much more to say…give Corelino’s a try, it really is that good—and the joint is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm.

Oh! almost forget to mention…Corelino’s garlic rolls—SENSATIONAL- if my wife wasn’t sitting there, I probably would have eaten 10 of them.

***Don’t Believe Everything That You Read***

In today’s Sun Sentinel on page 33 of Showtime insert…”ANTHONY’S IS THE BIG CHEESE”…

A full page, describing- how Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza with 23 Florida locations makes the best pizza in Florida.

If you check, on May 22, 2009 Jeff Eats ran “The 9 Best Coal Oven Pizza Joints In South Florida and on June 29, 2009 “The 17 Best ‘Regular’ Pizza Joints in South Florida—and Anthony’s didn’t make either list.

Trust me on this, Anthony’s doesn’t have the best coal oven or best regular pizza in South Florida.

Now- just an opinion…but I’ll bet you a buck, that in a blind taste test—you would pick Carolina’s Coal Fired Pizza & Pasta’s (see writeup May 27, 2008) -coal oven pizza over Anthony’s every time. Personally, I think that Carolina’s coal oven pizza is for-right-now, best of breed down here in South Florida. I also think, that most, if not all of the 26 pizza joints that I listed are better than Anthony’s.

I could go on and on…but like I said before, not a chance in the world that Anthony’s by any stretch of the imagination has the best “anything” pizza.

Just wanted to get that off my chest.

***** Shawn & Nick’s Courtyard Cafe, 2211 Wilton Drive, Wilton Manors, Florida 33305, (954) 563-2499.

Let’s call this one a “diner.” There is both inside and outside patio seating.

Check www.wiltonmanorscourtyardcafe.com for menu/prices.

This joint has some heavy duty extensive hours. Sunday-Wednesday 7am-3am, Thursday-Saturday 12am-12am (that’s 24 hours).

Let’s talk…huge menu- loads of breakfast stuff, appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, salads, meat-seafood-chicken entrees, desserts. Very reasonable prices. Plenty of “specials.”

Is Shawn & Nick’s the best diner that I’ve ever been in? Nope!…that said, the bacon cheese burger/sweet potato fries ($7.75) was pretty decent…same for chicken salad wrap/french fries ($7.75), raisin French toast ($3.75). I thought that the “The Mess” (2 scrambled eggs mixed with bacon, sausage, ham, American cheese) was outstanding ($5.95).

So…you now know about a diner, that has reasonable prices, decent enough stuff and is open when most other joints are long dark.

***** Boca Raton Fire Rescue-Station #5, 2333 West Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (911).

This past Tuesday, August 24, 2010 I worked as a “poll worker” at Boca Raton Fire Rescue-Station #5 in Boca Raton. Not really going to get into it, but I seriously doubt that you could find a more pleasant and helpful group of firefighters/ems folks than those assigned to this location anywhere in the United States. These “guys” went out of their way to make sure that us-poll workers were as comfortable and equipped as needed.

On August 24th, I was in the “station” from 5:45am-7:50pm—simply amazing how many calls the fire and ems trucks made during those hours. Whatever these folks get paid, Mrs. Mayor, not enough.

Anyway…I’m sure that you guys have “heard” about what great cooks firefighters supposedly are—well, I sampled a garden salad-chicken parmigiana-penne marinara-garlic bread dinner prepared by firefighter Adam Elliot, that was as good- if not better, than the stuff made by most of Italian “mom & pop-red sauce” joints that dot the Boca Raton landscape. By the way, the firefighters buy/pay for all of their food from their own pockets—this dinner cost each diner-12 bucks.

You now know about a “joint” that you can’t eat in.

Once again, thanks to Station 5 “D” Shift- Captain Aaron Fix, Lieutenant Ryan Cihowiak, Driver/Engineer Todd Withrow, and Firefights Ryan Kelly, Manny Nuno & Adam Elliot for making 6-very “warm” poll workers feel right at home.

One final thought, I heard that “they” got a guy who makes steaks better than those served at New York Prime and another guy who makes bbq to die-for. I say—we need more elections!

***** Pompano Pizza Italian Eatery, 1606 South Cypress Creek Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 (954) 782-5800.

Pompano Pizza is a “mom & pop–red sauce” Italian joint. Check www.pompanopizza.com for the full lineup of pizzas/pastas/calzones/strombolis/hot-cold subs/meat-seafood-chicken entrees.

Is this one of the great “mom & pops”…no sirree Bob. That said, decent enough…plain large pizza ($10.95), veal parmigiana ($13.95), veal marsala ($14.95), calamari marinara ($12.95).

You know how this all works, entrees come with choice of soup/or salad, pasta side, garlic rolls.

Let’s call this one—a good-neighborhood joint that gets the job done.

Pompano Pizza is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.