***** Pinon Grill, 6000 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 391-7770.

Got a terrific “American” semi-upscale joint for you…Pinon Grill in Boca Raton. Pinon is a newcomer to Boca in that it has only been around for 3-months. From what I have heard, since day-one, the joint which seats 303 (there is indoor and out door patio seating) has been packed every day for lunch and dinner. Based on last night’s dinner—I’m gonna bet, that Pinon isn’t simply the ” Boca flavor of the month”—and is going to have some real staying power.

At this stage of the game, check www.pinongrill.com for menu/prices—there are also a handful of photos that will give you some idea as to what Pinon’s decor is all about. Since old Jeff Eats isn’t an interior decorator, let’s say that Pinon looks like a real upscale Houston’s, hope that helps you out. By the way, I called the joint “semi-upscale”—but your tee shirt/shorts ensemble will work here—that said, last night from 7:45-8:30pm, I didn’t happen to notice any such ensembles.

Now, let’s talk food. The menu isn’t exactly huge, but the 6 appetizers, 2 soups, 8 salads, 13 entrees, 6 sandwiches that I counted seem to cover all of the 5 major food groups I learned about at Brooklyn’s P.S. 179. Last night’s “sampling”– lobster & crab ceviche ($16), shrimp spring roll ($12), baby back ribs (full rack $24), crab cakes ($25), chicken paillard ($18), pecan crusted trout ($22) was just right. I enjoyed every dish–with the ribs having one of the best sauces, that I’ve had in a very long time.. If you need a complaint, the ribs weren’t the “meatiest” that I’ve met in my day…they definitely could be beefed-up (or is it porked up?).

Before I wrap this one up…just wanted to mention, that the service was excellent. Our party of four had Steve “the waiter” who knew Pino’s menu cold—and made sure that water/drink glasses were never even close to being empty. I was also impressed by “service manager” Adam who when not visiting tables, was pitching in as a backup bus-person. It’s guys like this (or lack of), who in the long run-can make or break a joint.

If you are a fan of joints like Houston’s, J. Alexander’s, J. Marks—I think that you will really enjoy Pinon.

Pinon Grill is open Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 11:30am-11pm.

***** Maxies, 500 Via De Palmas (Royal Palm Place), Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 394-8800.

Got a cool 1950’s-1960’s “fast food” joint for you…MAXIES in Boca Raton. Order at the counter/pickup at the counter. Check www.maxiesflorida.com for menu/prices. MAXIES has been “around” for something like 4 months…but if you click your heels–you’ll get a kick out of the 50s-60s red & white checkerboard decor and the easy listening doo wop music. The joint has both indoor and out-door patio seating.

Let’s talk food.

The joint’s menu is loaded with charbroiled burgers and hot dogs, pita pockets, subs, fries, onion rings…throw in a huge “create” your own salad bar and frozen yogurt with tons of toppings— and I can safely say, that everyone in your party will definitely find something to eat.

A recent sampling had me “doing” a cheeseburger (1/2 lb $4.99), tuna salad pita ($5.29), Italian beef sub ($5.99), French fries ($1.99), onion rings ($2.89). Simply put, MAXIES makes some really good stuff. I enjoyed everything and was thrilled that for $7.50 a piece, Mrs. Jeff Eats and Daughter Jeff Eats — were able to concoct large salads that wouldn’t damage their girlish figures—thus leaving me alone in peace, to enjoy (in particular) my burger with cheese-ketchup-mayonnaise-grilled onions-raw onions, salted fries covered in ketchup and large Coke ($1.89).

MAXIES is a very good fast-food joint.

MAXIES is open Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 10:30am-11pm.

Hurricane Grill & Wings

If you check…back on April 28, 2010 Jeff Eats “did” a Hurricane Grill & Wings review. For those of you who don’t already know, Hurricane is a “rapidly” growing national chicken-wing chain with a number of stores in our South Florida market. Suffice it to say, the joint serves good stuff at reasonable prices.

Now…Hurricane Grill & Wings has a “Flavor Rewards Program—in a nutshell, this program is a CARD which accumulates points each- time you spend money at a Hurricane Grill…supposedly, the points add up and you can use them to buy food and merchandise at the restaurants.

Sounds Simple, doesn’t it? Au contraire!!

Jeff Eats has one of these cards and EVERY-TIME I have tried to use it, Hurricane Grill & Wings’ computer system has FAILED TO WORK. To make a long story short, both- my original card and a replacement card sent to me by the home office “didn’t” allow the servers or for that matter the general managers to in-put credit earned for purchases. Simply put…the system stinks. The latest failure of the system was last night- at Hurricane’s newest South Florida outpost in the Mission Bay Shopping Center in Boca Raton.

In the scope of things, this points’ thing (on an individual basis) is small potatoes . That said, if it happened to Jeff Eats, it may have happened to other customers here in South Florida and elsewhere—and I’ll bet you a lunch, all of the “points” not being correctly calculated might add up to some hefty numbers being “saved” by the home-office. Sinister? One never knows, does one?

One final thing, this morning I called Hurricane’s home-office to “discuss” the problem with my card(s) and found the two individuals that I spoke with very -confrontational in handling what should have been a very simple matter to “appease & cure.” From my viewpoint, these two folks weren’t too strong on the customer satisfaction front. I am telling you-these two treated my “problem” as if I had asked them to cure cancer or something. And no–they didn’t credit my card account with last night’s purchase…And no–they didn’t figure out why my card and their system didn’t work. As a matter of fact, one of the employees intimated that I might be making this “purchase” up. Sheez!!

A deal is deal…and this card is a DEAL, which Hurricane is not honoring (in my case, anyway). I can only imagine, how many cardholders might be getting “jipped” out of their money.

Like I said, the food is good…same for the prices and service.

That said, I’m out. Hurricane Grill & Wings has lost me as a customer.

UPDATE: April 28, 2011.

To make a long story short. After my February 18, 2011 “review” appeared and several phone callls to the HOME OFFICE. Jeff Eats was issued TWO CARDS. The first one DIDN’T WORK, the second one, worked one time and this evening it didn’t work. Hurricane Grill makes it very difficult to stay a loyal customer. I can only imagine—how many other customers are being “BEATEN” out of the points that they have rightfully earned. For real this time, I Won’t Be Back!

***** Tedesco’s Italian Restaurant, 2460 East Commercial Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308, (954) 493-9233.

Let me start by saying…if you decide to give Tedesco’s a shot, be smart–go to its site www.tedescosbythesea.com because it has several coupons, that “may” save you a few bucks…in addition, you may also want to check www.southflorida dines.com because it has a $30 coupon for 15 bucks. Just so we are straight, I ain’t shillng for South Florida Dines—it just so happens, that its site has a discount deal—and I’m giving you a heads-up.

Now, let’s talk Tedesco’s…”mom & pop” red sauce Italian joint. I recently “did” 1-dinner and 1-lunch…Let me make this one real simple, Tedesco’s did-not disappoint. The shrimp scampi, stuffed snapper, chicken marsala, lobster ravioli, meat lasagna, meatball parmigiana sub, pizza, sausage/peppers/onions sub, fried calamari—were all delicious.. In the price-department, Tedesco’s is in the same ballpark as most of the mom & pop joints dotting the South Florida landscape— for example-a large pizza goes for $14.99 and 6″ subs run 6 bucks a piece. The menu as expected, has the full-boat of appetizers, pastas, pizzas, subs, meat/chicken/seafood entrees…the joint also has a nice lineup of salads, wraps and burgers.

Let’s add Tedesco’s to our list of really good “mom & pop” red sauce Italian joints.

Tedesco’s is open 10am-10pm 7 days a week.

***** Paolo’s Restaurant & Pizzeria, 12111 Taft Street, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33026, (954) 431-0899.

Well…so much for my New Year’s resolution to drop 20 pounds—Got a terrific “mom & pop” red sauce Italian joint for you, Paolo’s Restaurant & Pizzeria in Pembroke Pines.

Paolo’s has been around for something like 20 years. The joint’s menu is loaded with appetizers, pastas, hot/cold subs, pizzas, calzones meat/chicken/seafood entrees. Now–you know and I know, that there are more “mom & pop” red sauce Italian joints in South Florida- than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook (credit: Soupy Sales)…and some are a whole lot better than others.

I am telling you, Paolo’s is right up there with the “whole lot better” crowd. A recent outing had me doing—delicious- eggplant parmigiana, veal marsala, shrimp marinara, chicken francese…special shout-out to a delicious large thin crusted pizza. As “expected”- Paolo’s has plenty of soup or salad/entree/pasta side/garlic rolls- deals. The most expensive dish on the menu is a seafood combination plate at $18.45—so nobody’s gonna go broke eating at this joint.

Just a heads-up…www.southfloridadines.com is currently running a $30 coupon for $15—so if you want to try Paolo’s and play the coupon “game”—there you go.

Paolo’s is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday 4pm-10pm.

***** Mark Anthony, Rus Anderson, Mark Anthony Band

The other night, I attended a private party—that featured tribute performances to- Billy Joel and Elton John. An absolutely incredible show, starring Mark Anthony as Billy Joel and Rus Anderson as Elton John. Both performers looked-and-sounded just like the “real” guys. Backed by the Matk Anthony Band (4 musicians), Anthony and Anderson had a crowd of 360 dancing-singing for hours.

Over the past years, I have seen a “number” of tribute performers…The Beatles, Neil Diamond, The Rolling Stones, The Blues Brothers—just to name a few. I am telling you, these two guys are right up there with the best acts going. In addition, the Mark Anthony Band is a full party-band–covering 1950s-to today’s tunes.

Let me send you to Anthony’s site www.markanthonyband.com and Anderson’s site www.rusandersonmusic.com —checkout their videos and I think you will be amazed at how good these guys are. It is freaking uncanny how they “become” Joel & John.

From what I understand, both Anthony and Anderson are based-out of Tampa, where they are in constant demand on the party/club circuit.

If you can, check these guys out “live”…they really are that good.

***** Davito’s Italian Restaurant, 19635 State Road 7, Boca Raton, Florida 333498, (561) 482-2323.

Got a good “pop & pop” red sauce Italian joint for you…Davito’s Italian Restaurant which opened 2-weeks ago in Boca Raton. The “pops” that own this joint are Vito Raneri and Dave Acker. Of note, Raneri is the former owner of Dominic’s II (see Dominc’s II review 3/12/08)—suffice it to say, this guy knows how to run a restaurant, consistently serving reasonably priced (the most expensive item on the menu is zuppa di pesce at $22.95)–good food.

Let’s make a long story short.

About a month ago Raneri & Acker “acquired” Anna’s Kitchen (see Anna’s Kitchen review 10/10/09). From what I can tell, other than a sign here and there…the decor is exactly the same—same goes for the plates, silverware, etc. Why Anna’s which opened in October. 2009 didn’t make it, is up for grabs?

One thing that Anna’s “had” decor-wise that I didn’t care for—large oversized wooden tables. Now I’m no decorator, but these tables, make what is basically a small dining space, look/feel even tighter than it really is. Hey! Vito and Dave, this table thing is something you should definitely “think about.”

Last night, Jeff Eats gave Davito’s a shot…arriving at 7:30pm, we were greeted by a packed-house and a 30 minute wait. From a quick “survey”…every person there, was a Vito Raneri “follower.” Like I said before (and in the original Dominic’s II writeup)…Mr. Raneri knows how to run a restaurant and treat customers, just right. Of note, last night, partner Dave Acker was the “master of ceremonies”-making sure, that everything in the “front of the house” was right on target.

Now let’s talk food…garlic rolls, minestrone soup, veal parmigiana, ziti with marinara sauce, chicken sorrentino—A-OK!! I’m gonna bet, Davito’s food is almost, if not, as good as the stuff that your favorite “mom & pop” serves. One final note, friends Jessica and Joe, who just happen to be Italian—thought that the chicken scarpariello and mussels marinara were outrageously delicious…with Joe soaking up every drop of the scarpariello sauce with garlic rolls. Then again, Joe thought that the Yankees were going to be in the 2010 World Series—and we all know how that turned out, don’t we?

In a nutshell, the menu is loaded with tons of appetizers, salads, pastas, veal/chicken/seafood, pizzas. For you hungry folks…the requisite garlic rolls/soup or salad/entree/pasta side—are abundant.

If you are so inclined—a cursory look of Jeff Eats’ index will reveal-that over the past 5 years-243 different South Florida Italian restaurants have been “sampled.” Really don’t have time to put them in numerical-favorite order, but let’s just say, that if you try Davito’s, you won’t be disappointed.

Davito’s is open, Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm and Sunday noon-10pm.

***** Mr. Gyros Famous Greek Sandwiches, 6341 North Andrews Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309, (954) 634-9767.

Got an absolutely terrific GREEK fast-food joint for you…Mr. Gyros Famous Greek Sandwiches in Fort Lauderdale—order at/pickup at counter. You can check menu/prices at www.mrgyrosfamous.com.

Trust me on this one, some of the best gryo, chicken souvlaki, pork souvlaki, grilled chicken breast, tzatziki…that you will ever eat. Special shout-out, to Mr. Gyros’ hand-cut french fries, amazingly delicious.

Mr. Gyros is open Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm. The joint is closed on Sunday.

***** Dragon Gourmet Buffet, 1091 South University Drive, Plantation, Florida 33324, (954) 423-8088.

The “name” may throw you off…the words “Chinese”–“Japanese”–“Asian”–“Fusion” are nowhere to be found. So there is no confusion, Dragon Gourmet is a Chinese-Japanese-Asian-Fusion buffet-joint in Plantation.

This one is a KEEPER. Clean…good food…huge and I do mean HUGE selection of stuff (didn’t count– its website says that there are 200 different items)…very reasonable prices, figure max 16 bucks a head (it all depends when you get there). You can check menu/prices/photos at www.dragongourmetbuffet.com.

Over the past few months, I’ve done 1-dinner and 2-lunches…the food was consistently good. On all of the “outings”…Dragon was busy and the food was constantly turned-over, which is IMPORTANT when you are talking buffet. Just think of what freshly made fried chicken tastes like after its sat in a heated steamed “chafing” dish for 45 minutes or so (but that”s a Golden Corral story for a whole-nother day).

To be perfectly honest with you, Jeff Eats is a big-fan of buffets. Can’t remember, the last one that I didn’t enjoy. May need a psychiatrist to figure this one out, but just looking at mounds and mounds of food just-sitting-there-for-the-taking, gets me going.

If you are a fan of Chinese-Japanese buffets, I think that you will really like this one. Special shout-out to the General Tso’s chicken, pan fried dumplings, egg rolls, sweet and sour chicken.

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

***** Cheesesteak Experience, 2900 West Sample Road, Pompano Beach, Florida 33079, (954) 580-1488.

Got an absolutely terrific “PHILLY CHEESESTEAK” joint for you…Cheesesteak Experience- located in the Festival Flea Market Mall’s fast-food court.

At this stage of the discussion, check www.philly-cheesesteaks.com for menu/prices. For those of you too lazy to “type”—this fast food joint’s menu is loaded with steak/chicken cheesesteak subs, wraps, sandwiches, burgers, subs, salads.

Trust me on this…Cheesesteak Experience makes a chopped- sirloin steak/grilled onions/Whiz/ Amoroso’ sub, that is right up there with the best that I have ever eaten. For the non- experts out there, WHIZ is sprayed cheedar cheese and Amoroso’s is a world famous bakery located in Philadelphia- which many think, makes the best sub-hoagie-grinder bread known to mankind. Going off topic for a moment, Cheesesteak Experience also makes an outrageously delicious tuna salad sub.

IN SEASON–The Festival Flea Market Mall’s food court on a Saturday or Sunday is literally a zoo. I was there today at 2:30pm and you’d swear from the lines, that the food concessions were giving stuff away. For right now, the food court has 3 delis, 1 chinese joint, 1 pizza place, 1 philly cheesesteak/sub/salad/burger joint. The point, this food court has enough of a selection to please everyone. Soooo…don’t worry, that someone in your party is gonna go home hungry.

I am telling you, if you are a fan of philly cheesesteaks—Cheesesteak Experience is an absolute must try.

The Festival Flea Market Mall’s food court is open 7 days a week.