*****  John Bull English Pub, 801 Village Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409 (561) 697-2855.

I recently had dinner at John Bull English Pub, an “English Pub” that actually breaks the mold…in that its food is absolutely delicious. I usually find, that these English (and for that matter Irish)  pub-joints have food that is borderline-horrendous. Thank God, these-British guys lost the Revolutionary War.  Anyway…at this stage of the review, take a look at John Bull’s website www.johnbullenglishpub.com for menu/prices…there is also a photo that will quickly sum up this joint’s dark-wood decor for you.

For sure, John Bull has some “English dishes” like fish & chips, bangers and mash and shepherds pie…but my “taste-test” drifted to stuff like, crabcakes, grilled pork chops, kobe beef sliders, philly cheesesteak sub, shrimp scampi, turkey pot-pie, french fries and onion rings. I got to tell you, somebody back there- in John Bull’s kitchen really knows how to cook, because the food is realy-really good. Prices are sports-bar prices (maybe a buck or two higher)…service is just fine. Your tee shirts/shorts ensemble works just fine here. By the way, the joint has live bands on Saturday nights and other “entertainment-stuff” going on during the week.

John Bull is a rare-find…like I said before, these type of joints usually don’t have great food, but John Bull absolutely-positively breaks the mold. The joint’s menu is packed with appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/seafood/chicken entrees and desserts… I promise you, that you will not have to eat “English” food, unless you want to.

John Bull English Pub is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-2am and Saturday-Sunday 5pm-2am.

Thank God we had…George Washington!

*****  Flashback Diner, 3259 SE Federal Highway, Stuart, Florida 34997 (772) 286-1983.

Just so we are straight…this joint’s decor is FAUX…it really isn’t a 90 seat 1940’s-1950’s-1960’s diner…red booths, checker-board tile floor, counter-seating…faux, faux, faux.

Now about the food…Flashback has a menu that could literally choke a horse…breakfast (just for starters, this joint has 30+ omelets listed), appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/chicken/seafood entrees… Not to mention,  that everything is reasonably priced and the list of “combos” and “specials” is seemingly endless.

Before I tell you the gory-eating details, let me say up-front… that Flashback is my kind of a joint.  Now, I know that it really isn’t 1957 when I eat there, but it’s fun to “make like” it is (feel free to pick your favorite year)…anyway, 3 pals and I shared…philly cheese-steak sub, country fried steak, fried clams, fried filet of sole, chicken salad on toasted rye, bacon cheeseburger, fried chicken, meatloaf sandwich and french fries…let’s just say that, we were in “pig heaven” and can’t wait for our next Flashback-meal. By the way, the service is “diner friendly”…really pleasant.

Why -o-why aren’t joints like this, closer to my home? Flashback is open Sunday-Monday 6am-2pm and Tuesday-Saturday 6am-8pm.

*****  Tentazione Ristorante, 141 North Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida 33426 (561) 731-2627.

Got a small, but very good-reasonably priced Italian joint for you…Tentazione Ristorante in Boynton Beach. Maybe, the joint has 15 tables and you can see the kitchen from every seat.

Unlike the “mom & pop” chains that dot the  South Florida landscape… this joint doesn’t have you eating in a trellis…Tentazione is a narrow restaurant, with a handful of paintings on the wall and just “regular” tables & chairs. Real casual, so tee shirts and shorts are just fine.

As for the food…very good. As for service…very good. A recent outing found me “sampling” penne alla vodka, fetuccine alfredo, chicken parmigiana, bistecca parmigiana, pizza (nice, thin crust) and lasagna…all at neighborhood pizza joint prices.

Tentazione’s menu of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, pizzas and seafood/chicken/meat entrees isn’t gigantic, but you will definitely find something to stuff your face with.  If you live in the neighborhood, you now know about a very good joint…Tentazione is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-10pm and Saturday 4:30pm-10pm.

      Nathan’s Famous, 12801 West Sunrise Boulevard (Sawgrass Mills Mall), Sunrise, Florida (954) 846-1394.

This past Sunday, I visited the Sawgrass Mills Mall in Sunrise. While my “better-half” shopped, I killed 3 hours (2:45pm-5:45pm) reading books in Books A Million and seeing how many free-toothpick bourbon chicken samples I could devour.

Sawgrass has 2 large food-courts…with the usual mall-tenants like, Sbarro, Panda Express, Chicken Connection, Subway, Burger King, Auntie Anne’s…One quick observation. Except for Nathan’s Famous, everyone of the food-outlets had beautifully “show-cased” food… and energetic-nimble workers “banging” orders out like crazy.

There are things that I think I know and things that I know I know…and I know for sure that Nathan’s (the chain) which has been around since 1916, serves the best hot-dogs and french fries in the world.

The Sawgrass Nathan’s is an absolute disgrace. The workers are slower than the zombies that star in those Night Of The Living Dead flicks. While watching, there were no “delicious smelling” hot dogs “sizzling” on the grill (as a matter of fact, there was nothing on the grill)…there were two lines, one filled with frustrated people waiting to place an order and another, filled with frustrated people (standing with receipts) waiting for their food. In the span of 20 minutes, I actually watched 17 people walk-away without placing orders, because they obvioulsy didn’t want to play Rip Van Winkle while ordering-picking up fast-food.

Take a look at Nathan’s website at www.nathansfamous.com for menu/details. This fast-food chain has something like 234 outlets…Whoever owns the Sawgrass location…you got “gold” but you have absolutely no idea how to run a fast-food joint.

Mr. Chen’s Hunan Palace, 5130 Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach, Florida 33484 (561) 498-4703.

Last week, I ate lunch at this neighborhood Chinese joint. Mr. Chen’s menu is packed with all of the familiar appetizers, soups, entrees…not to mention, all kinds of combo plates and lunch $6.95-$7.95 “specials.” No question about it, you get a ton of food for your lunch-money…soup, egg roll/or fried chicken wings, fried rice, entree.

Sorry to report…the food isn’t very good. This joint flunked my basic “taste-test”…I did my best to grade Mr. Chen’s on a “curve” and it still couldn’t come-up with a passing grade. Just so you know, I tried the won-ton soup, egg rolls, fried rice, sweet & sour chicken, fried chicken wings, spare ribs, pepper steak, chicken with cashews.

Rather than bore you with the gory details…let’s just say that the won-ton soup had absolutely no taste…for all I know, it could have been hot-tap water. Everything and I do mean everything I tried, literally had no flavor. Whoever was in the back preparing this crap, had absolutely no idea as to how sauces-or seasoning work.

This joint is open 7-days a week for lunch and dinner. Don’t even think about it.

*****  Dyan’s Country Kitchen, 9100 Wiles Road, Coral Springs, Florida 33067 (954) 755-7590.

A short-story for you.

Dyan’s Country Kicthen is a “neighborhood” breakfast-lunch joint…counter-booth-table seating. Take a look at Dyan’s website www.dyanscountrykitchen.com for menu/prices. Absolutely-positively nothing fancy.

Let’s call Dyan’s a real good joint…big breakfasts, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches.

Good food. Good prices. Good wait-staff.

Every NEIGHBORHOOD should have one of these!

Dyan’s is open Monday-Friday 6:30am-3pm and Saturday-Sunday 6:30am-2pm.

*****  Acquolina Ristorante Italiano, 2320 Weston Road, Weston, Florida 33326 (954) 389-1880.

Just finished eating dinner at an Italian joint…Acquolina Ristorante Italiano, located in Weston…and I got to tell you, that it was one of the best Italian meals that I have had in a very-very long time. Other than having to throw 2-pinches of salt over an “individual- 1/2 order” of fried zucchini, the food was absolutely delicious. Let me send you to Acquolina’s website www.acquolinaweston.com for menu/prices

Acquolina’s has white table-cloths, but your tee shirt/shorts ensemble will do just fine…there is indoor seating and out-door patio seating overlooking a man made shopping center lake.

Let’s talk food…trust me on this one, the food is outrageously good. The menu has “individual-1/2 order” and “family style” portions. Fried zucchini, baked clams oreganata, chopped salad, penne alla vodka, bone-in chicken campagnola, veal chop parmigiana, shrimp fra diavolo…all, as tv-food personality Guy Fieri would say “off the chart.” The service is real-good, with a group of waiters who “chat with customers” and keep a close eye to make sure that water and beverage glasses are never empty. Prices… maybe a “buck-or-two higher” than neighborhood pizza joint prices. A little heads-up…a lot of the “individual-1/2 order” portions are enough to feed 2-people, so  ASK the waiter about portion size when ordering…besides saving money, you’ll have more than enough food to stuff your face real good with.

Personally, I don’t care for the name Acquolina…it sounds like it has something to do with water and fish…but it ain’t my joint. What I do know, is Acquolina’s menu is loaded with top-notch appetizers, salads, pastas, meat/seafood/chicken entrees.

Let me sum Acquolina up for you this way…I drove 72 miles round-trip to eat in this joint…and I can’t wait to make the trip again. The food is that good.

Acquolina is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Bono’s Bar- B- Q & Grill, 2290 SE Federal Highway, Stuart, Florida 34994 (772) 283-0078.

Bono’s Bar- B- Q & Grill is a “casual-very reasonably priced bbq” joint located in Stuart, Florida. Take a look at its website at www.bonosstuartfl.com for menu/prices.

Bono’s menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, wings, pork-chicken-seafood entrees. In addition to serving lunch and dinner, Bono’s does breakfast.

Now this may get confusing, but follow me…Bono’s is NOT an extreme bbq joint…its food is just right, nothing too smokey or too southern-style.

Anyway, you’ll have to try Bono’s for yourself, to understand what I am yapping about.

A recent “taste test” of baby-back ribs, bbq turkey, bbq chicken, grilled shrimp, grilled chicken breast, french fries, onion rings…literally had me in pig heaven. Like I said before, “not overly smoked and just sweet enough” is Bono’s bbq game.

Real casual place. Very good food. Very reasonable prices. Very pleasant service.

Bono’s is open for lunch and dinner Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm. Bono’s serves breakfast Monday-Friday 6am-10:30am and Saturday-Sunday 6:30am-11am.

*****  Big Daddy’s Chicken, 4650 Donald Ross Road, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33418 (561)694-2154

Hey! Boston Market…you should let Big Daddy’s make your rotisserie chickens for you…get a contract or something…be smart and stop serving your fatty-salty birds and get Big Daddy’s stuff in your stores.

Big Daddy’s is…let’s call it a “neighborhood mom & pop joint” that serves delicious rotisserie chicken, ribs, appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers hot dogs and wraps. Take a look at Big Daddy’s website www.bigdaddyschicken.info for menu/prices.

A recent outing had me sampling…the rotisserie chicken, hamburger, steak sandwich, bbq ribs, macaroni & cheese and garlic roasted potatoes. The food is dynamite. The prices are extremely reasonable. The service very pleasant.

Big Daddy’s is a terrific place for a real casual lunch or dinner. Nothing fancy here…just real good food and a take-out menu that makes me wish that it was near my house.

If you live in Big Daddy’s neighborhood, you now know about a joint where you can eat-in/take-out some heavy duty delicious food. Big Daddy’s is open Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm and Sunday 11:30am-8pm.

*****  Cita’s Italian Chophouse Restaurant, 3176 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133 (305) 446-2207.

Cita’s is a combination…”upscale white tablecloth steakhouse- Italian” joint… The food is really good. The service is really good. It is PRICEY and your tee shirt-shorts ensemble isn’t really going to work here. Take a look at Cita’s website www.citasitalianchophouse.com for menu/prices and loads of photos. Great looking joint, with indoor and outdoor patio dining.

Like its brethern in the upscale steak business, this joint has a menu loaded with “$40+” entrees and $8 sides…nothing comes with nothing. That said, if you “watch” what you are doing here, you can have a great meal and not have to apply for food stamps the next day…pasta dishes run $18-$30, meat/chicken/seafood entrees $21-$65. The menu has enough, shall we say… elasticity, so you should be able to “work” the list of appetizers, soups, salads, pastas, entrees and not jeporadize your next car payment.

Just so you know…on “taste test day” I left my calculator at home ( I can write this meal off as a business expense) and found the fried calamari, pan seared grouper, veal chop parmigiana, gnocchi and bone-in New York Strip Steak to be delicious.

Based on its prices, I would be foolish to recommend Cita’s as an “every day” joint …but, it’s a real good place to know about, when you want something a bit special.

Cita’s is open for dinner, Sunday-Friday 5pm-11pm, Saturday 5pm-midnight and for brunch on Sunday 10am.