***** Gramercy Bagels and Deli, 15200 Jog Road, Delray Beach, Florida 33446 (561) 496-5400.

The folks in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton just got real lucky…About 2-weeks ago a “New York Style” bagel-deli joint named Gramercy Bagels opened in the Atlantic Plaza Shoppes…and I gotta tell you, based on today’s-lunch this place is going to be an absolute homerun.

At this juncture, I would suggest that you check Gramercy’s website
gramercybagels.com for menu/prices/photos.

Today, I did lunch…first off, Gramercy Bagels is 5500 square feet…for the non-carpenters out there, that’s big. When you enter the store, there is an enormous and I do mean enormous area for takeout stuff…soups, salads, sandwiches, meats-smoked fish, pastries, bagels, bialys…you name it and its probably there. There is also a dining room which seats 155. To give you some idea of what we are talking about here, the owner Andy Hopta told me that all 26 types of bagels, bialys, breads, flagels, salads, soups…are prepared in-house. Just so you know, the bagels are made the “right way”…boiled and then baked.

Anyway…if you check Gramercy’s website you will find a handful of photos which really show the joint-off. Let’s just say, that this is one of the most attractive-looking bagel-deli joints that I have been to. When you look at the takeout-cases, you’ll be like a kid in a candy store…you are going to want to try everything.

As for the old food-test…matzo ball soup (A), pastrami (B), corned beef (B+), chopped liver (A), chicken salad (B+), potato salad (A), cole slaw (A), macaroni salad (A), Israeli salad (A), cucumber salad (A), french fries (B+ only Nathan’s gets an (A), everything bagel (A), pumpernickel bagel (A), rye bread (A), raspberry ruglah (B), cinammon ruglah (B+), coffee (A). For you weisenheimers out there, I just “tasted” a-drop of everything and there were 3-of us at the table. Also note, the (A) for coffee…one of the best cups I have had in a long long long time.

Prices are neighborhood bagel-deli prices. Service, you’d never know that this joint has only been open 2-weeks…real smooth operation.

There are a ton of bagel-deli joints in South Florida. This is one of the best ones that I have eaten in.

Gramercy Bagels is open 7 days a week 7am-4pm.

***** Cafe Italia, 3471 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306 (954) 561-3900.

First things first…no shorts.

Under normal circumstances, that “no shorts” thing would put the old kabash on this joint…but a couple of you guys so highly recommended Cafe Italia that I made an exception to my-rule.

Let’s call Cafe Italia a “semi-upscale” Italian joint. Nothing really ultra-fancy here, but it is definitely-not a neighborhood pizza joint. The prices aren’t terrible, figure 15-20% higher than the local talent that “we” usually frequent. Service is real good. By the way, the joint is located in the lobby of an office building.

Cafe Italia’s menu isn’t huge…but you’ll find something to eat. Checkout its website
cafeitaliaristorante.com for menu/photos.

Now let’s talk food. You “recommenders” were right on the money…the food is absolutely delicious. I did a veal marsala, eggplant parmigiana, penna alla vodka and meat-lasagna and this stuff holds its own–against the best that I have eaten down here.

Cafe Italia is open 7-days a week 5:30pm-10:30pm.

***** Hot Pie Pizza & Bar, 123 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33416 (561) 655-2511.

Let me start by saying that I heard about Hot Pie Pizza & Bar…by reading the Sun Sentinel’s- Judith Stocks’ “Dining finds” column (8/6/09)…and from a post that I received from Jim H. on 8/6/09 in the “comments-section” of “The 9 Best Coal Oven Joints In South Florida which was a writeup that Jeff Eats ran on May 22, 2009.

Okay…credit given.

Hot Pie Pizza & Bar is a “coal oven pizza-wing” joint…which happens to make some absolutely delicious pizza and wings. If you check the joint’s website www.hotpiepizza.com you will find a menu that in addition to pizza-wings also has 3-appetizers, 3-salads, 3-sandwiches, 3-sides, 4-entrees, 1-dessert (root beer float).

This evening I did a small wings (10-$8.95), large plain-old-pizza ($13.95), house salad (for 2-$7.95), penne with bolognaise ($11.95)…everything and I do mean everything was really-good.

Hot Pie Pizza & Bar is a winner…modern looking, pleasant service, reasonable prices and great food. Another beautiful thing about this joint, is that it has “just enough” of a selection, so that if coal oven pizza-wings aren’t your game, you won’t go home without eating…As for only having 1-dessert–let’s just say, root beer floats, don’t float my boat. I’m more a cannoli kinda guy.

Like I said before, back on May 22, 2009 I gave you guys 9 of my favorite “coal oven” joints…let’s just say, that if I had eaten in Hot Pie before I concocted that list, it would have been on it. Oh Well!

Hot Pie is open 7 days a week from 11am-11pm.

***** Two Dino’s Pizza Company, 2145 North University Drive, Coral Springs, Florida 33071 (954) 344-3441.

Last week, I was in Coral Springs…a “Grand Opening” banner caught my eye, so that’s how I “first” ended up eating in Two Dino’s Pizza Company. It’s a “mom & pop” red sauce Italian joint with a menu loaded with appetizers, salads, wings, subs, pastas, pizzas (whole and by the slice), entrees (meat-seafood-chicken).

Anyway…I did a “slice” ($2.45), 1/2 chicken parm sub, 1/2 sausage peppers & onions, 1/2 meatball sub…those 1/2 subs ran $4.95 a piece, a whole sub goes for $8.95…

Gourmet stuff? Now let’s not be silly here. What I will tell you, is that the pizza and subs were all delicious. The pizza was thin/sweet sauce…the subs were on a nice crispy hero bread.

Now for the kicker…last night I “returned” for a second outing…chicken marsala ($13.95), rigatoni ala vodka ($12.95) and clams over linguine white sauce ($15.95), garlic rolls… real good stuff, with that chicken marsala being especially good. By the way, entrees at this joint come with soup or salad and garlic rolls.

You guys now know about a “new player” in the mom & pop game. Two Dino’s is open is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday noon-9pm.

***** China Cafe, 8903 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434 (561) 482-4533.

Let’s call China Cafe the new kid on the block…this Chinese takeout/delivery joint has been open for something like 1 week..just so you know, it has 1-table for 4 for eat-in.

Did some takeout…egg rolls, pan fried dumplings, bbq spare ribs, wonton soup, sweet & sour chicken, moo shu pork, shrimp with lobster sauce, pepper steak…not bad-not bad at all. Reasonable prices and plenty of specials and combination dishes.

Like I said, this is basically a takeout joint. Now I’m not saying NYC China Town quality…but decent enough stuff.

China Cafe is open Monday-Thursday 11am-9:30pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm, Sunday 3pm-9:30pm.

***** Pizza Heaven, 4420 Weston Road, Weston, Florida 33331 (954) 349-4566.

You know and I know…that “mom & pop” Italian joints are a dime a dozen down here in South Florida…they range from lousy-to-superb. I’m gonna call Pizza Heaven “good.”

Did a taste-test of… large pizza ($16), veal parmigiana ($15.50), chicken cacciatore on the bone ($14.25) and shrimp fra diavolo (16.50)…dinners come with salad, entree, pasta side, garlic rolls. I really enjoyed the pizza and the chicken cacciatore…the other two dishes were ok, but nothing to go nuts over.

Pizza Heaven is a neighborhood Italian joint…its menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, pastas, pizzas, subs and meat-seafood-chicken entrees. You can check its website www.pizzaheavenrestaurants.com for menu/prices.

The joint is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday noon-9pm.

***** Vita Italian Restaurant & Pizza, 10014 Griffin Road, Cooper City, Florida 33328 (954) 434-8422.

Vita is a “mom & pop” red-sauce Italian joint. Vita has been around for something like 27 years…let’s call this one, a good-steady neighborhood joint. Take a look at its website www.vita8422.com for menu/prices/photos.

The other night I did a pizza, veal parmigiana, shrimp marinara, chicken marsala…you know the deal, soup or salad–entree with pasta side–garlic knots. The food is pretty good…like I said before, “neighborhood” is the key word here. The prices are very reasonable and the service is as freindly as can be.

So…if you live or work in Vita’s neighborhood, you now know about a good local joint where you can have a nice lunch or dinner or takeout stuff from.

Vita is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 11am-9pm.

***** Brothers of Brooklyn, 1547 Northwest 77th Court, Miami Lakes, Florida 33016 (305) 362-6292.

Brothers of Brooklyn is a “bagel-deli” joint…it is open 7 days a week for breakfast-lunch 7am-3:30pm. I’m not gonna describe its decor, if you are 3+ years old, you know exactly what this type of joint looks like. I am not exactly sure how long Brothers has been around, but I have been eating there since 1991. I’m gonna bet that I’ve had breakfast there something like 30 times.

Just so we are straight…Brothers is a neighborhood-type joint. There is absolutely-positively nothing “gourmet” here…so if you are looking for top-notch pastrami/corned beef/brisket this joint ain’t for you. Brothers is the “borderline seedy” (in the good sense) joint where you go for a “standard” cup of coffee-scambled eggs with bacon and a toasted everything with a schmear. Nothing more, nothing less.

Brothers is my kind of a joint. Plain…Simple…Easy Going.

***** Big Joe’s Burgers and Wings, 2831 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 447-7995.

If you take out your Webster’s and look under “hole in the wall” burger joint…you will find Big Joe’s Burgers and Wings in Boca Raton. The joint seats something like 10, that’s right 10…and is located in a non-descript (aren’t they all) strip center on Federal Highway. Talk about crappy locations…This is what “we” call a destination spot.

Anyway…Big Joe’s is my kind of a joint. At this stage of this game, checkout its website www.bigjoesburgers.com for menu/prices.

Let me make this real simple…this joint is GREAT. The menu has loads of soups, burgers, sandwiches, wings…not to mention daily specials and desserts.

I recently did a taste-test of a bacon cheeseburger, chicken caesar salad, honey garlic chicken wings, blackened mahi mahi sandwich…absolutely delicious. Now…I don’t know how Big Joe’s makes them, but this joint serves mashed potatoes (you do remember Vice President Dan Qualye, don’t you?) that are absolutely incredible…by the way, the mashed potatoes come in “various flavors/combinations) I had the plain-old ones. The joint also has a lineup of home-made desserts…I did the chocolate peanut butter pie, great.

You absolutely-positively want to try this joint. Like I said before, it is a hole-in-the-wall—in a crappy strip center…so set your GPS or call ahead for directions.

Big Joe’s is open Monday-Friday 11am-8pm.

***** Padrino’s Cuban Express, 2900 West Sample Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33073 (954) 984-4128.

Got something different for you…a fast-food Cuban joint…Padrino’s Cuban Express…located in the Festival Marketplace’s (Flea Market) food-court.

Padrino’s makes some heavy-duty delicious stuff. Although its an “order-at-counter” joint, its menu is loaded with appetizers, wraps, soups, salads, sandwiches and meat-seafood-chicken entrees. Padrino’s also has a breakfast menu.

Like I said before, Padrino’s is in the food-court…you order at the counter and eat in “general population” seating. The joint also has its own 20-or so seat dining room with table and counter seating.

The prices are dirt-cheap…breaded minute steak hoagie sandwich ran $5.49…seafood creole was $5.99 and grilled pork chops $8.49, both came with rice, beans and plantains…These dishes were delicious. From what I can tell, there are three people running this joint…absolutely amazing how they are able to bang-out such amazingly good food from a miniscule kitchen.

So…the next time you find yourself wandering the Festival flea-market in search of bargains, you now have a terrific Cuban fast-food joint to hit.

Padrino’s is open Monday-Friday 8:30am-5pm and Saturday-Sunday 8:30pm-6pm.