***** Mondo’s American Bistro, 713 US Highway #1, North Palm Beach, Florida 33408 (561) 844-3396.

Mondo’s American Bistro…let’s call this joint an “American-style” restaurant…very handsome, dark woods, full bar, very reasonable prices. Checkout its website at www.mondos.com for menu/prices/loads of decor pictures.

Mondo’s has been around since 1991 and has a great menu—loads of appetizers, soups, salads, wings, burgers, pizzas, pastas, Mexican stuff, meat-seafood-chicken entrees. As I said before, very reasonable prices, including early-bird and other specials.

I loved this joint…great looking, huge menu, pleasant waitstaff… On this outing, I did a sesame crusted snapper, roast chicken, seafood linguine, bacon cheeseburger, shrimp scampi…all delicious.

Let me make this real simple…this joint is a winner.

I highly recommend that you give this joint which is open Monday-Friday 11am-10pm, Saturday 4pm-10pm, Sunday 4pm-9pm a shot.

***** Aunt Mary’s Bagels, 12189 Pembroke Road, Pembroke Pines, Florida 33025 (954) 432-3339.

Aunt Mary’s is a “bagel-deli” joint…handful of tables. Decent enough bagels, breakfast stuff, sandwiches, deli meats, appetizing.

Let’s call Aunt Mary’s which is open Monday-Saturday 6:30am-3pm and Sunday 7am-1pm a “decent enough” LOCAL-NEIGHBORHOOD bagel deli joint.

***** SlimYogurt.com, 3725 Northeat 163rd Street, North Miami Beach, Florida 33160 (305) 948-8383.

Kinda hard for a guy who loves and I do mean loves, Dairy Queen…to give a fair-call on SlimYogurt.com—an upscale– low-calorie–all natural–0% fat–no cholesterol yogurt joint.

So…we are gonna let Mrs. Jeff Eats, make the call on this one…”ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.” By the way, “she” (my father use to say, “Who’s she?…when I would talk about my mother) is a big fan of low calorie-yogurts- ice creams-cakes-candy etc…so, I’d trust her call on this one.

You can check SlimYogurt.com’s website www.slimyogurt.com for menu/prices and a terrific video which will give you some idea as to what the joint looks like.

SlimYogurt.com is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm and Friday-Sunday 11am-midnight.

***** Makeb’s Homemade Bagels & Deli, 401 South Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401.

Makeb’s Homemade Bagels & Deli…NY style bagel-deli located in West Palm Beach. Check www.makebs.com for menu/prices.

Makeb’s has the full-boat of breakfast stuff, soups, salads, sandwiches. A recent test-run had me sampling tuna salad, chicken salad, pastrami, corned beef, grilled chicken, chicken noodle soup…and of course an everything-bagel and a pumpernickel bagel. This joint is a winner.

Makeb’s is one of the better bagel-deli joints that I have eaten in down here in South Florida. The food is real good and the bagels were just-right—crunchy outside, soft inside.

Nothing fancy. Reasonable prices. Bagel-deli service (whatever that is).

I really like this one…Makeb’s is open Monday-Friday 6am-5pm, Saturday 7am-3pm, Sunday 8am-3pm.

***** Cerione’s Italian Cafe, 6606 Collins Avenue, Miami, Beach, Florida 33141 (305) 861-4877.

I really enjoyed Cerione’s Italian Cafe…a neighborhood Italian joint located in Miami Beach. Check its website at www.ceriones.com for menu/prices.

Cerione’s is a very casual joint. Although its menu isn’t gigantic, there are enough very reasonably priced appetizers, salads, paninis, subs, personal pizzas, pastas, seafood-chicken-meat entrees to keep everybody busy.

I did a “taste test” of fried calamari, meat lasagna, chicken parm, veal marsala…everything was delicious. I will tell you, the fried mozarella (squares) appetizer was worth the price of admission alone.

Cerione’s is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-11pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-midnight.

This joint is absolutely worth a try.

***** La Dolce Vita Pizza, 2717 Southwest 37th Avenue, Coral Gables, Florida 33133 (305) 443-6063.

La Dolce Vita Pizza is a “neighborhood pizza joint.” You order at the counter/You pick-up at the counter. Handful of tables. The joint’s menu has the expected pizzas, pastas, subs, entrees…very reasonably priced.

Tried the pizza…nothing beats 2-slices and a large Coke…and I gotta tell you, thin, crispy, sweet sauce—delicious pizza. Also tried a veal parm sub and the meat-lasagna—good, but I’ll bet you that your favorite neighborhood takeout joint makes better stuff.

So…if you live or work in La Dolce Vita Pizza’s neighborhood, you now know about a joint that makes delicious pizza and “ok” veal parm and meat lasagna.

La Dole Vita Pizza is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

***** Fresh Harvest at Seminole Coconut Creek Casino, 5550 Northwest 40th Street, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073 (954) 977-6700.

Fresh Harvest is a “buffet” joint located in the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino…Fresh Harvest does breakfast Monday-Saturday 7am-10am, lunch Monday-Saturday 11am-4pm, dinner Monday-Saturday 5pm-10pm, brunch Sunday 7am-8pm.

Like I said before, this joint is located in the Seminole Casino…the food is good and it’s all you can eat. The buffet has a great selection of stuff and coffee and soda is included in the price.

Hey Jeff, is this gourmet food? Of course not…but for a buffet the food is pretty decent. The food and selection are as good, if not better than Golden Corral which has “buffets” all over South Florida.

Just a suggestion, before eating…get yourself a Players Card and a Fresh Harvest Card. There is no charge to get these cards and great discounts come with “membership”…for example, the $12.95 Wed-Thursday buffet costs $9.95 with the Players Card.

Take a look at www.seminolecoconutcreekcasino.com for menu/prices/details.

***** Texas Hold Em BBQ, 21 Southwest 7th Street, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301 (954) 764-7427.

Texas Hold Em BBQ is a “hole in the wall” smoked bbq joint located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Order at th counter/Pickup at the counter. You can check menu/prices at www.texasholdembbq.com.

I’m gonna make this review real short…if you like SMOKED BBQ this joint is real-good. A recent-outing had me doing babyback ribs, brisket, pulled pork, bbq chicken, mac & cheese, baked beans.

Old–Jeff Eats is not a major-fan of smoked bbq…personally, I like Chinese style ribs…I know that a huge number of you guys love “smoked bbq” so the other day I gave this joint a shot. Like I said, not really my style, but I did enjoy the food.

Texas Hold Em is open Monday-Friday 11am-9pm, Saturday-Sunday noon-9pm.

Boca Raton

***** Matteo’s Restaurant, 233 South Federal Highway, Boca Raton Florida 33432, (561) 392-0773—&—1825 East Hallandale Boulevard, Hallandale, Florida 33009, (954) 455-4050.

Certain things in life bear repeating…

Matteo’s with locations in Boca Raton, Hallandale is one of the best Italian restaurants in South Florida.

If you check…Back on March 19, 2008, I did a writeup on Matteo’s. I absolutely love this joint.You can check Matteo’s menu/prices at www.matteosristorante.com.

Matteo’s has 2 South Florida locations…Boca Raton, Hallandale…on average, I am probably in either the Boca or Hallandale joints at least once a month.

Matteo’s food is delicious. Matteo’s service is outstanding. Matteo’s prices are not-exactly “cheap,” but if you’re sensible when ordering, you won’t need a second job to pay the bill…Matteo’s features both family-style and individual portions. Matteo’s is a “white-tablecloth” joint, but your tee shirt/shorts ensemble will work.

Matteo’s started out as a Long Island joint…check the website for NY locations etc…Not exactly sure when its first S. Florida location (Boca Raton) opened, but from day-one Matteo’s has been a “homerun”…its enormous NY following, translated into an enormous South Florida following.

Look…I could go on and on about this joint…

I am telling you, that if you want terrific Italian food, served by a professional staff…with a management team that makes you feel like you are family…then you want to absolutely positively eat at Matteo’s.

You now know “again” about a sensational Italian joint that is not to be missed.

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Matteo’s Restaurant (Boca Raton & Hallandale)
Posted on March 19th, 2008 · Boca Raton Hallandale Beach Italian · [edit]
matt

***** Matteo’s Restaurant, 233 South Federal Highway, Boca Raton Florida 33432, (561) 392-0773—&—1825 East Hallandale Boulevard, Hallandale, Florida 33009, (954) 455-4050.

Matteo’s is a Southern Italian Restaurant. Matteo’s has 2 South Florida locations. Matteo’s is not cheap, but you won’t go to the poor-house, if you order sensibly. Matteo’s serves both family-style and individual sized portions. Matteo’s food is absolutely sensational. Matteo’s wait-staff is probably the best in all of South Florida. Matteo’s is always jammed.

Check Matteo’s website www.matteosrestaurants.com for menu/pricing/details.

Matteo’s is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants.

End of story.

***** Uncle Al’s Sports Cafe, 15846 West Sate Road 84, Sunrise, Florida 33326 (866) 669-7775.

Uncle Al’s Sports Cafe…neighborhood sports bar, with something like 17 flat screen tvs, handful of arcade games…real good- reasonably priced sports bar food.

Did some fried wings, bacon cheeseburger, french fries, onion rings, zucchini sticks, grilled chicken caesar wrap…like I said, good-reasonably priced sports bar food.

If I lived or worked in Uncle Al’s neighborhood, I would be a good customer. Real good food…very pleasant wait-staff…menu loaded with appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, wings, meat-seafood-chicken entrees. Unfortunatley, this joint is something like 25 miles from my home.

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

Uncle Al’s is open Monday-Thursday 11am-midnight, Friday-Saturday 11am-1am, Sunday noon-midnight.