***** Kenny Vance & The Planotones *****

If you are a fan of 1950’s-1960’s doo wop/rock n’ roll music…there is a concert scheduled for Saturday Night, August 27, 2011 at the Parker Playhouse www.parkerplayhouse.com in Sunrise that you do not and should not miss…Kenny Vance & The Planotones.

Suffice it to say, that Kenny Vance in a former-lifetime was an original memember of Jay & The Americans, television’s “Saturday Night Live” and films- American Hot Wax, Eddie & The Cruisers and Hairspray musical director.

Over the years, I have seen Kenny Vance & The Planotones in action something like 5-times. Each time, I was amazed at Vance’s vocal range. As many of you may know, Jay Black was the “voice” associated with Jay & The Americans. I am telling you, Kenny Vance’s voice is as good if not better than Mr. Black’s. For you guys who do get to this show, Vance’s songlist often includes Jay & The Americans hits like ‘Cara Mia’ and ‘Only In America’…the show highlights the group’s ‘Looking For An Echo’ from the American Hot Wax film.

Like I said before, if 1950’s-1960’s doo wop/rock n’ roll music is your game…you will really enjoy this Act.

I just checked the Parker Playhouse site and there are some real good seats still available. They range in price from $30.50-$50.50 and every seat is just-fine in that this is a small 1,100 seat venue. Just so you know, at the Parker Playhouse site, there is a video of Kenny Vance & The Planotones–if you want to check this group out before buying tickets.

***** Shindig Irish Restaurant & Pub, 464 Southwest Port Saint Lucie Boulevard, Port St. Lucie, Florida 34953, (772) 785-6202.

Got a good Irish pub for you…Shindig Irish Restaurant & Pub in Port St. Lucie.

A recent dinner had me “trying”…braised short rib sliders, bacon cheeseburger, shepherd’s pie, fish & chips, corned beef & cabbage. Nothing to get hysterical about “foodwise” here…but the stuff is decent enough. Do like-I did…hit this joint on either a Friday or Saturday night when it features live bands. For “small” money (the most expensive item on the menu is the flat iron steak-$21.99), you’ll eat and drink good and have a blast listening to some of the better rock bands in the area.

Check menu/prices/entertainment schedule at www.shindigpub.com.

The joint is open 7 days a week, 11am-2am.

***** Zinger’s Delicatessen, 7132 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 826-7323.

If, delicious- New York Kosher Style Deli is your game—you absolutely, positively have to give Zinger’s Delicatessen in Boca Raton a try.

For you fressers out there…Zinger’s in a “former” life, was Pastrami Queen (see 9/12/08 writeup)…to make a long story short, family “matters” resulted in Pastrami Queen closing in late 2010. This past Tuesday, Zinger’s opened for business—for our purposes, SAME OWNER!–NEW “NYC” DECOR!–SAME TERRIFIC FOOD!

Last night I ate dinner at Zinger’s.

Zinger’s is located in the exact-spot where Pastrami Queen was. Gary Zinger who owned Pastrami Queen is Zinger’s owner. The restaurant’s layout hasn’t changed, but the decor has…let’s just say, that stainless steel walls/ceiling and art-deco signage rival the best-deli decor here and in NYC. The joint has 3-flat screen tvs and a takeout counter that will make you want to quit Weight Watchers.

Let’s talk food…

To be perfectly honest with you, I seriously doubt that there is a better New York Kosher Style Deli down here in South Florida. I’ll even go so-far as to say, Zinger’s Delicatessen can easily hold its own with legendary players like NYC’s- Carneige, Stage, 2nd Avenue and Katz’s delis…if you aren’t a native Nooo Yoorker, please feel free to insert your hometown favorite delis’ names.

Just so you know, I was a Pastrami Queen “regular”…so, it was absolutely impossible to eat-at Zinger’s, shall we say incognito. The meal was “on the arm” with Gary Zinger literally having me “try” everything in the joint. Take it for what it’s worth, the pastrami, corned beef, brisket, turkey off the bone are as good as it gets. The joint also makes- delicious, potato pancakes-chopped liver-tuna salad-chicken salad-matzoh ball soup-smashed French fries-Italian beef sub.

Just so we are straight…don’t want you to think that I’m a Zinger’s shill—I’ve eaten better potato knishes—like the ones I, my father and brother Andy use to get in 1958 from the pushcart stationed right outside of Fortunoff on Livonia Avenue in Brooklyn while waiting for my mother to finish shopping.

Trust me on this…Zinger’s is a homerun.

Like I said before, I tried a load of stuff. I will tell you, that the sandwiches being delivered to the tables were nice-sized… I didn’t see one group leave without a doggy bag… and no one bitched to Gary about the service/prices.

Zinger’s website is www.zingersdelicom. The site is currently under construction, so give it some-time to get up and running.

Zinger’s does breakfast, lunch and dinner…The joint is open 7 days a week 7am-10pm.

***** Red The Steakhouse, 119 Washington Avenue, Miami, Florida 33139, (305) 534-3688.

Got an absolutely tremendous upscale steakhouse for you guys…Red The Steakhouse in Miami.

If, you don’t mind going for your lungs, you gotta give Red a shot. You can check menu/prices at www.redthesteakhouse.com.

At this stage of the proceedings I’m gonna rank Red The Steakhouse right up there with the best steak joints that I’ve ever been to. A recent outing had me “sampling”…22 oz. bone in ribeye ($49), 13 oz. filet mignon ($47), 16 oz. veal chop milanese ($42), linguini clams/white clam sauce ($31.90)—garlic fries ($8.90), sweat onions ($8.90), creamed spinach ($9.50). Simply put, hip/modern decor (the website has photos)—outrageously delicious food, attentive and very-very professional service.

Like I said, right up there with the best steakhouses going.

Red The Steakhouse is open Sunday-Thursday 5:30pm-midnight, Friday-Saturday 5:30pm-1am.

***** Bella Vita Pizza & Restaurant, 11010 Wiles Road, Coral Springs, Florida 33076, (954) 345-7001.

Bella Vita Pizza & Restaurant…”mom & pop” red sauce Italian joint in Coral Springs.

I’m gonna make this one short and real simple…Bella Vita Pizza & Restaurant is right-up there with the best-of-breed. I thought that its pizza, veal parmigiana, chicken marsala, shrimp marinara, sausage & peppers and penne ala vodka rivaled the best “mom & pop” stuff that I’ve had over the years down here in sunny South Florida…really that simple.

You can check menu/pries at www.bvpizza.com.

Bella Vita Pizza & Restaurant is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 3pm-10pm.

If deal-coupons are your game, www.southfloridadines.com got a $15 gets you $30 deal going. Bella Vita’s website also has some coupons that you can print out.

***** Angelina’s Italian Deli, 7400 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33487, (561) 443-3337.

Angelina’s Italian Deli is a hole-in-the-wall—mom & pop—red sauce—Italian joint in Boca Raton…decor, New York Yankee stuff (very original!).

If you are over the age of 2, no make than 1…you know exactly what Angelina’s menu is all about. This one is a no-brainer…pastas, calzones, strombolis, pizzas, subs, meat/chicken/seafood entrees (entree comes with soup or salad, pasta side, garlic rolls).

Tried Angelina’s for dinner and was “shocked” to learn that this joint isn’t open on Sunday…I guess the guy who owns Chik-fil-A also owns Angelina’s. I don’t know about you guys, but growing up in Brooklyn in the 1950’s…Chinese food was a Friday night family ritual, Saturday night was when Uncle Sammy baby-sat me and my brother Andy while my parents went out, Sunday night was Italian night with Carolina’s in Coney Island being the go-to-place.

Anyway, although it was on a Wednesday…I really liked Angelina’s. Tried the pizza, veal parmigiana sub, sausage sub, chicken cutlet panini, penne ala vodka. Now, in deference to a recent reader who recently wrote and I quote…”Hey, Jeff how can you possibly love every item that a restaurant has?”—The pizza was really good, the veal parmigiana sub was really good, but not as good as the pizza, but it was a drop better than the sausage sub which was almost as good as the penne ala vodka which was close- but the chicken cutlet panini was the best.

Let’s get real here. Angelina’s is a neighborhood pizza “place.” Joints like this were put on the map, so that guys like me and you, can get lots of solid red sauce stuff for realtively cheap money–use a ton of napkins, drink way too much Coke and have a good time with friends and family. Curing cancer, doesn’t enter the equation here-whatsoever!

If you “see” things like I “see” things…you will really like Angelina’s which is open Monday-Wednesday 11am-7pm and Thursday-Saturady 11am-9pm.

By the way, www.southfloridadines.com has one of those $10-gets you-$20 coupon deals going.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 393-3722.

P.F. Chang’s China Bistro… national, semi-upscale Chinese chain.

Just got home from eating at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro in Boca Raton. I know-I know-I know, “everyone” loves this Chinese joint. To be perfectly honest with you, my family raves about P.F. Chang’s food….same goes for tons of my friends.

Call me the exception to the rule, but personally, I wouldn’t give you 5 cents for P.F. Chang’s food.

This evening I “sampled” egg drop soup, wonton soup, hot & sour soup, spare ribs, egg rolls, pan fried dumplings, mongolian beef, honey chicken, chicken with cashews, shrimp with lobster sauce—now, no fooling here, I thought that each and every dish was lousy. If you took this stuff–out of its fancy surroundings and served it at a “mom & pop” joint…the bet here, is that the mom & pop wouldn’t last very long. By the way, the mom & pop would probably charge 50% less for the same dishes.

Like I said before, this chain’s got a tremendous reputation… and tonight’s 30 minute 8pm wait tells me that tons of people love “it.”

I maybe crazy…but like I said before, I wouldn’t give you 5 cents for the food.

The way I see it, P.F. Chang’s is “chain food”…I checked the Boca location and the staff does have 2 Chinese employees…one works the kitchen, the other as a server. Now I’m not saying that you have to be Chinese to make good Chinese food…what I am saying is that P.F. Chang’s is “formula” food…anybody can make its food. The wontons were in a chicken broth and were as flimsy as a Kleenex. The spare ribs were covered in a sauce that was so–“something” that half-of them went “un”eaten. The cashew chicken wasn’t even as good as the Mall stuff you get for $4.99. Trust me, your favorite Chinese restaurant does every dish listed above better…and I say this, even though I probably haven’t been to your favorite.

You can check menu/prices at www.pfchangs.com.

P.F. Chang’s is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

***** Dowtown Pizza, 608 Lake Avenue, Lake Worth, Florida 33460, (561) 586-6448.

Dowtown Pizza…”mom & pop” red sauce Italian joint located in Lake Worth.

Now, you and I know that joints like Downtown Pizza are a dime a dozen down here in South Florida. Actually, they are a dime a dozen in every town in America—with that in mind, I gave Downtown Pizza a “dinner” shot last week. Before you check menu/prices at www.downtown-pizza.com…picture in your mind-what you think this joint’s menu is all-about—correcto-mento…the usual appetizers, pizzas, subs, calzones, pastas, chicken/meat/seafood dishes—

Trust me on this one, delicious New York Style pizza…thin crust, a real-nice sweet sauce. Also tried- chicken parmigiana sub, meat lasagna, veal marsala…ok, but nothing to get nuts over.

So…If you live or work in Downtown’s neighborhood, you now know where you can get a real-good slice and decent enough-other stuff.

Downtown Pizza is open Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am, Sunday 11am-10pm.

***** Nicks Pizzeria & Bar, 2240 Northwest 19th Street, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 368-2900.

As I’ve done numerous times in the past…let me tell you about a terrific joint that “basically” nobody else in South Florida knows about. Say hello to Nicks Pizzeria & Bar, which opened 2-days ago in Boca Raton. This restaurant is soooo-new, that a few days ago, its owners were still tinkering with its name…finally deciding on Nicks Pizzeria & Bar instead of the “original” handle—Nick’s New Haven-Style Pizzeria & Bar.

Here’s the story…Last night I had dinner at this “coal fired” pizza joint–and I gotta tell you, it absolutely blew me away. First of all, for a joint opened only 2- days, the service was right on. The decor is dynamite, with a dark wood 1940s-1950s theme. There are inside booths/tables–outdoor tables. The joint has a full bar area/handful of flat screen tvs and a completly open kitchen. The piped in music, features doo wop, 1950’s-1960’s oldies…though I did hear a couple of Green Eyed Peas’ numbers in the mix.

Let’s talk food…all kinds of- appetizers, salads, wraps, subs (they call them grinders), pizza flats, pastas, desserts. You can do a GOOGLE on what “New Haven Style” pizza is all about…basically, crust-tomato sauce-romano cheese-oregano. NOTICE! there is no mozzarella cheese in the mix. Just so you know, in addition to “this” New Haven stuff, Nicks has “regular” coal oven pizzas, so you (us) New Yooorkers and other purists can get pizza that doesn’t “confuse.”

Last night I had dinner at Nicks. I “sampled” pan-fried mozzarella, steak & cheese grinder, New Haven Style plain pizza, margarita pizza (let’s call this one- New York Style), white clam-bacon-garlic pizza, parmesean fries, rigatoni bolognese…everything and I do mean everything was delicious. For dessert, I “tried” 4 of the 8 gelatos on the menu (I know- someone’s gotta do it!) milk chocolate, pistachio, lemon and coconut—this stuff alone, was worth the price of admission.

Another beautiful thing about Nicks is that it is located right next door– and I do mean right next door to a Weight Watcher Center. Just thought you point-counters would like that info.

Let me wrap this one up by simple saying…I loved Nicks. By the way, you can check menu/prices at www.nickspizzeriabar.com.

Nicks is open 7 days a week 11am-to late.

***** Gyroville, 2240 Northwest 19th Street, Boca Raton, Florida 33431, (561) 353-9265.

Gyroville…fast food Greek joint. Order/pickup at counter.

The other day, I had “dinner” at the Gyroville outpost in Boca Raton. Unless you’re Telly Savalas, you’re probably gonna need a GPS to find this joint as it’s located in the elbow-of a shopping center that’s in a horrendous location. The Boca store opened about 6-weeks ago…there are currently 2 other locations, one in Pembroke Pines and another in Fort Lauderdale. According to its menu, another- Fort Lauderdale location is set to open later this month. I guess, business is good—You can check menu/prices at www.gyroville.com.

To make this one short…I really enjoyed the food. A “sampling” of pork souvlaki, chicken souvlaki, grilled chicken, skirt steak—all, right on the money. I also thought that that the joint’s hummus and tzatziki were delicious. For those “totally” not on a diet, the baklava was worth the calories.

Like I said before, this is strictly a fast-food joint. Nothing fancy–just solid, really good, reasonably priced stuff.

Gyroville is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday 11am-9pm.