***** Marcella’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, 12305 Pembroke Road, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33025 (954) 433-1552.

Got a real good-casual “red sauce” Italian joint for you…Marcella’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in Pembrooke Pines. Great looking modern-decor joint with a menu that could literally choke a horse…appetizers, pastas, pizzas, subs, meat/seafood/chicken entrees. Take a look at its website at www.mymarcellas.com for menu/prices/tons of pictures.

A recent “tasting” had me doing veal parmigiana, veal marsala, shrimp scampi, pizza, meat balls & spaghetti… probably as good as your favorite neighborhood “mom & pop” joint. Neighborhood prices/pleasant enough service. The joint has plenty of early-bird deals and meat/chicken/seafood entrees come with soup or salad-pasta side-garlic rolls (as if you didn’t already know).

So…if you live or work near Marcella’s, you now got a real good joint to eat-in/take-out from. By the way, Marcella’s is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday noon-10pm.

***** David’s East Side Deli, 4580 PGA Boulevard, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418 (561) 691-9293.

I am an absolute sucker for a good pastrami sandwich…not to mention, good corned beef and brisket sandwiches…but my favorite is pastrami on rye.

Let’s be straight with one another…the pastrami that most of these so called South Florida bagel-deli joints sells is CRAP…some of the stuff is almost-borderline passable, but nothing and I do mean nothing, even close to the goods sold by joints like the Stage Deli (NYC), Carneige Deli (NYC), Katz Deli (NYC), Second Avenue Deli (NYC).

There are exceptions to every South Florida rule… until yesterday,there were 4 joints down here that make top-notch pastrami…Pastrami Queen (Boca Raton), Ben’s Deli (Boca Raton), Pastrami Club (Lauderhill), Pomperdale Deli (Fort Lauderdale)…by the way, these four joints also make terrific corned beef and brisket.

Anyway…the list got a new member, David’s East Side Deli. This is a kosher-deli and its pastrami-corned beef-brisket are terrific. Take a look at its website for menu/prices www.davidseastdeli.com.

If you are looking for a delicious deli sandwich, David’s is a home-run joint. Just so you know, I only tasted the pastrami-corned beef and brisket…but if this stuff is any indication, then the rest of David’s food is probably dynamite.

David’s is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-8pm, Friday 11am-3:30pm and is closed on Saturday.

***** Frankie’s 124 Ristoranti Italiano, 124 South Federal Highway, Hallandale Beach, Florida 33009 (954) 453-2410.

Frankie’s 124 is an “upscale” white-table cloth Italian joint…but, don’t worry, your tee shirt/shorts ensemble works here.

Frankie’s in one-form-or-another has been around since 1971. When you check its website www.frankies124.com for menu/prices/pictures–you’ll find the joint’s “history.”

Frankie’s is located right across the street from Gulfstream casino/track and has a gigantic following with horse owners-jockeys.

Over the years, I must have eaten at Frankie’s at least 15 times…and I gotta tell you, this joint has never-ever disappointed…the food is terrific. My most recent outing-a couple of days ago…fried zucchini, penne allla vodka, chicken scarpariello, veal parmigiana, shrimp scampi, grilled veal chop, vanilla ice cream-chocolate cake roll…delicious (there were four of us, for those of you who were wondering). Service is pleasant and extremely efficient.

Let’s talk money…Frankie’s regular menu prices aren’t going to send you to the poorhouse…maybe, a couple bucks more than your favorite neighborhood joint. Now for the beautiful part of the story (assuming you can handle dinner Monday-Friday 4pm-6pm and Saturday 4pm-5pm Saturday-Sunday)…Frankie’s has a Sunset Menu priced around 16-20 bucks a head…you get, salad-entree-pasta side-dessert-coffee. From what I can tell, same portion size as regular priced menu stuff.

I highly recommend this joint. Whether you eat “discount” or not, the food is terrific…by the way, that vanilla ice cream-chocolate cake roll is worth the price of admission alone.

Frankie’s is open 7 days a week for dinner.

***** Pollo Campero, 750 North Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida 33426 (561) 738-2662.

Pollo Campero is a “fast food” chicken joint. This chain’s first store opened in Guatemala in 1971 and currently has stores all-over Latin America, Spain, China and is now making a-heavy-duty push into the United States. For right now, South Florida has 3 locations.

Order at the counter…food delivered to your table. Take a look at the joint’s website at www.campero.com for menu/prices/pictures/locations.

Gave the Pollo Campero in Boynton Beach a shot last night…the menu is as simple as can be…fried or grill chicken…sides, like french fries, mashed potatoes, black beans, rice, black beans. The joint looks like your standard McDonald’s-Burger King…the food is served on heavy-duty plastic plates and stainless-silverware is used. The prices are super-reasonable…a family of four can easily be fed for under 20 bucks and that includes soft-drinks.

Last night I had both the fried and grilled chicken…Now I’m gonna assume that you know what a Chicken Kitchen is (it’s a grilled chicken fast food chain)… well, Pollo’s grilled chicken is just like Chicken’s…not bad at all, moist with a nice grilled taste…On the fried chicken, hope you know what Shake N’ Bake is-was…because that’s what Pollo’s tastes like…kind of bland-not very crispy…personally, Popeye’s stuff runs circles around this dry-stuff. As for the sides, absolutely nothing special here.

So…we go to Pollo for grilled chicken, we don’t go to Pollo for fried chicken.

The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

***** Tom Jenkins’ Bar B-Q, 1236 South Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 (954) 522-5046.

Not really sure how long this “bbq” joint has been in business…I’m gonna guess 500 years. It’s located in a free-standing building on Federal Highway and everytime that I have been there it it has been absolutely packed. If you are looking for fancy…don’t even think about ths joint. Order at the counter and “hope” that you find someplace to sit…figuring on sharing a table with total-strangers.

Take a look at Tom’s website www.tomjenkinsbbq.com for menu/prices/photos.

Just so you know, this ain’t Tony-Roma’s, Bobby Rubino’s…sweet tasting “chain” bbq stuff. This is the real McCoy. To try and explain the taste would be like trying to explain the Theory of Relativity…let’s just say this is real-smoked stuff.

Regular readers know, that old Jeff kinda leans to sweet-stuff and is really not that keen on smoked-goods…I will tell you, that I make an exception for Tom Jenkins’ bbq chicken, bbq ribs, pulled pork…not to mention its baked beans,macraroni & cheese. This place knows what it is doing…the food is absolutely delicious. Let’s just say, this joint’s food isn’t over-whelmed by smoke.

The long lines and jammed parking-lot says it all. Tom Jenkins’ is a joint that you absolutely-positively want to try. By the way, after eating, you will “smell” like bbq for the rest of the day.

The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

***** The Pita Bar, 209 Southeast 1st Avenue, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 361-1518.

In a nutshell…The Pita Bar is a “do-it-yourself” fast-food pita, salad, wrap joint. Checkout its website www.thepitabar.com for menu/prices.

Real simple…you “build” your own thing…For example, you order a pita with grilled chicken…you get a pita with grilled chicken strips (that figures) then you go to a very-ample salad bar and fill the pita with everything-anything that your little heart desires…

If this “concept” floats your boat…my 26 year old daughter and wife absolutely loved the joint…you know where The Pita Bar is located. Personally, I am a burger-french fries-Coke kinda guy…but I can see how many-folks would love this “healthy-alternative” fast-food joint.

The Pita Bar is open Monday 10:30am-10pm, Tuesday-Thursday 10:30am-midnight, Friday 10:30am-3am and Saturday 11am-3am, closed on Sunday.

***** The 17 Best “Regular” Pizza Joints In South Florida *****

Despite what many of you guys believe…South Florida has some really good “regular” pizza joints. By REGULAR…I mean, no woodfire, brick-oven or coal fired pizza…

Anyway…I got a list here for you…they are all good…it really is tough to put them in-some-kind-of order, but here goes…

1. Original Frankie’s Famous Pizza (Miami) 4/23/08.
2. Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant (Boca Raton & Delray Beach)–3/20/08.
3. Primanti Bros. (Oakland Park)–6/11/08.
4. Brooklyn Boys Pizza & Pasta (Boca Raton)–2/12/08.
5. Steve’s Pizza (North Miami) 10/30/08.
6. Thick & Thin (Boca Raton) 8/11/08.
7. Ralph & Rosie’s Restaurant/Lounge (Boynton Beach) 4/30/08.
8. Pizza Time (Coral Springs) 6/30/08.
9. Big Anthony’s & Guido (Coral Springs) 2/7/08.
10. Master’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria (Miami Beach) 12/7/06.
11. Umberto’s Pizza & Clam Bar (Pompano Beach) 4/25/08.
12. Times Square Pizza (Fort Lauderdale) 10/24/08.
13. Pizza Time (Boca Raton) 11/24/08.
14. Pizza Roma Restaurant (Aventura) 12/11/08.
15. Frank’s Restaurant & Pizza (Pompano Beach) 4/27/08.
16. Mario The Baker (Sunrise) 7/1/08.
17. Perrini’s Pizzeria (Boca Raton) 8/12/08–the joint is now Stella’s.

Like I said before, they are all-good.

***** To The Moon Marketplace, 2205 Wilton Drive, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33305, (954) 564-7987.

Got something different for you…To The Moon, which is like a “general store” with merchandise from something like 60 countries.

The joint has all kinds of nostalgic candies, chocolates, licorice, greeting cards, gag gifts…all kinds of crap (in the good sense).

Check out the joint’s website www.tothemoonmarketplace.com for products/tons of photos/details.

I am telling you…you will have an absolute blast shopping at this joint

To The Moon is open Monday-Thursday 10am-11pm, Friday 10am-1am, Saturday 11am-1am and Sunday 11am-11pm.

***** Pete’s A Place, 3417 Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 (954) 791-3613.

If you look up the phrase “hole in the wall” in Webster’s Dictionary…you will find a picture of Pete’s A Place, located on Davie Boulevard. No inside seating…a pickup-window–two old benches outside- if you want to eat “there.”

Take it from this Brooklyn-Boy…some of the best pizza, pasta, subs and other “red sauce” Italian stuff that you’ve ever tasted…for cheap mone!

I got nothing else to say about this joint…except that it is open 7-days a week.

*****  Bare Bones Grill & Brewery, 4817 Southeast Dixie Highway, Stuart, Florida 34997 (772) 286-35353.

Bare Bones Grill & Brewery is a  casual-moderately priced “American-style” joint. There is both indoor seating–and water-view patio seating (the joint is located on a waterway in the Manatee Pocket).

Bare Bones Grill is “what” Florida is all about…great looking restaurant (the water view alone, is worth the price of admission)…throw in real-good food, good prices, good service…and this place is a winner. You can check Bare’s site at www.barebonesflorida.com for menu/details.

The other night I did some heavy-duty taste-testing. In no particular order, onion loaf, crab cake, bbq ribs, bbq chicken, teriyaki chicken on a kaiser roll, frenh fries. This joint makes real-good stuff. You gotta try the ribs—super good.

Bare Bones’ menu has the full boat of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/seafood/chicken entrees…just so you know, this ain’t a sport-bar…this is a “real” restaurant with a “real” chef.

Bare Bones is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday & Sunday 11am-11pm and Sunday 11am-9pm.