.

*****  Zona Fresca, 1635 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33305 (954) 566-1777…1095 South University Drive, Plantation, Florida 33324 (954) 370-3332.

If “fast-food” Mexican stuff like… burritos, tacos, quesadillas, nachos and totillas are your game… then you have to try Zona Fresca which runs circles around Taco Bell. For right now, there are only 2 locations…Fort Lauderdale and Plantation…Take a look at this joint’s website www.zonafresca.com for menu/prices.

Zona Fresca is open 7 days a week from 11am-9pm.

*****  Bar-B-Que Beach, 1555 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 538-7201.

A few weeks back, I had dinner at a bbq joint named Bar-B-Que Beach down in Miami Beach…the joint has a full bar and indoor/outdoor seating. The best way to describe Bar-B-Que’s decor is “tiki-hut meets life guard station”…its menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, burgers, wings, steaks, seafood, bbq stuff. Shorts and tee shirts are the dress of the day.

Now for the verdict…

Being a glutton for punishment, I forced myself to “sample”…bbq beef ribs, baby back ribs, bbq chicken, pulled pork, brisket, onion rings and macaroni & cheese…and I have to tell you everything was delicious (with the beef ribs being my favorite main dish)…the service was very good…the prices, extremely reasonable…and the portions on the large size.

Bar-B-Que Beach is a very good place to know about… The joint is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-2am and Friday-Saturday 11am-5am.

*****  Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar, 450 Las Olas Boulevard, Fort lauderdale, Florida 33301 (954) 462-9119.

Got an absolutely terrific and I do mean terrific… steak-seafood-Italian joint for you, Timpano Chophouse & Martini Bar in Fort Lauderdale. Just for the record, you should know that there are currently six Timpano Chophouses…Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Orlando, Napperville IL, Rockville MD and Houston TX.

Before we go any further, you have to wear pants in this joint, so if shorts are your game…end of story.

Take a look at Timpano’s website www.timpanochophouse.net… after reviewing the menu/prices/photos…give me one good reason why you wouldn’t want to try this joint.

Like I said before, Timpano is a steak/seafood/Italian restaurant. The joint looks real-upscale, but really doesn’t take itself all that seriously. The food is terrific. The service is terrific. The decor/ambiance is terrific. On the pricing front, not bad, not bad at all…not exactly bargain basement, but you definitely won’t go for your lungs either. Actually, Timpano gives you a real nice bang for the buck (I think my Brooklyn heritage is starting to show). Let me tell you, that on a recent Saturday night I “sampled” some absolutely delicious chicken parmigiana, veal marsala, shrimp fra diablo, bone in rib eye, roasted salmon, onion rings and mashed potatoes.

Even though I couldn’t wear my shorts-tee shirt ensemble, I really enjoyed Timpano…and I think that you will too.

 Timpano is open Monday-Friday for lunch 11am-4pm…and for dinner, Sunday 5pm-10pm, Monday-Wednesday 4pm-10pm, Thursday 4pm-11pm and Saturday 5pm-midnight.

*****  Mr. Moe’s Restaurant & Bar, 3131 Commodore Plaza, Coconut Grove, Florida 33133 (305) 442-1114.

First things first…check-out Mr. Moe’s website at www.mrmoes.com for menu/prices/entertainment schedule/photos. Go ahead, I’ve got time.

Mr. Moe’s is a terrific sports-bar (caveat to follow). Loads of flat screen tvs, dynamite “log cabin” interior, huge full bar, inside and outside seating, mechanical bull, live bands on the weekends, 40 different beers, and a reasonably priced menu filled with appetizers-salads-burgers-sandwiches-meat/seafood/chicken entrees.

A recent outing on a Friday night found… decent baby-back ribs, a very good cheeseburger, decent french fries and onion rings, a good philly cheesesteak sandwich and a good country fried chicken steak…and probably 12,000,000 University Of Miami undergraduates having an absolutely great time.

Just so you know…if quite-gourmet dining is your game, this joint ain’t for you. Mr. Moe’s is a SPORTS BAR…okay food/booze/tvs/sports/music…I guarantee, if you are 21-25 years old, Moe’s is Nirvana which is open 7 days a week from 11:30am-5am.

*****  Mario the Baker, 13695 West Dixie Highway, North Miami, Florida 33161 (305) 891-7641.

Let’s get started…this writeup is about Mario the Baker a Southern Italian Red Sauce joint located in North Miami…which first opened its doors in 1969.

If you go to Mario’s website www.mariothebakerpizza.com you will find menu details…you will also “learn” that in addition to the North Miami location there are something like 11 other Mario the Baker joints in South Florida. The site will also give you “the history” of Mario the Baker with details of “who started what…and who sold what to whom and when.”

Now…let’s make this real simple. The Mario the Baker in North Miami is an absolutely great place for pizzas, pastas, subs, meat/chicken entrees. Nothing fancy…big portions…reasonable prices…very pleasant wait-staff.

To date, I  haven’t tried any of the other Mario the Baker locations…so for right now it is “up in the air” as to whether or not they are as good, better, or worse than the original. A few of them are on my “list to do”…so I’ll update you guys as needed.

If you live  in North Miami, the odds say that you already knew about Mario the Baker long before reading this writeup. Anyway…Mario the Baker is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm.

*****  The Shindigs  *****

This past Friday Night (November 28, 2008) I attended a private party at the Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton. The evening’s entertainment featured a 4-piece South Florida based 1950’s-60’s-70’s tribute band…The Shindigs.

I have to tell you, that The Shindigs had a crowd of 250 up and dancing all night. The band did absolutely amazing covers of the hits of such groups/acts as (now get ready for this partial list in no particular order)…The Beatles, The Dave Clark Five, The Zombies, The Monkees, The Grass Roots, The Bee Gees, K.C & The Sunshine Band, The Commodores, The Rascals, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, The Byrds, The Temptations, Barry White, Chubby Checker, James Brown, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Dion & The Belmonts, Roy Orbison, The Beach Boys, Chicago, Gerry & The Pacemakers and Bill Haley & His Comets.

Take a look at The Shindigs’ website www.theshindigs.us. If you check the members’ bios…you will find that these guys aren’t “kids” playing rock’n’ roll, but rather… are  seasoned-professional musicians with extensive music industry backgrounds. If you check “Events” you will find that in the upcoming months, The Shindigs have South Florida “free” gigs scheduled at such venues as the Hollywood Band Stand (12/3/08) and the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (12/26/08)…

I am telling you, that if you like great classic rock ‘n roll/disco music from the 50’s-60’s-70’s, you will absolutely love The Shindigs. By the way, The Shindigs also perform a Beatles’ tribute show–costumes and all…under the name The Beatles Remembered. If you check You Tube, you will find a number of videos starring The Beatles Remembered and the performances are amazingly accurate…

The Shindigs are a band/act that you should make it your business to see. By the way, unlike many bands…The Shindigs’ music is 100% live, no tracks or tapes are used to enhance the band’s performance.

Don’t miss these guys!!

*****  Mike’s at Venetia Restaurant & Irish Pub, 555 NE 15th Street, Miami, Florida 33132 (305) 374-5731.

This is a “strange one.”

Normally, these Irish Pub joints only see me…if they have some type of “entertainment” going on. For example, over the past 18 months or so, I have seen this guy George Orr’s “Hot Rod Live Show” 4 times at four different South Florida- Irish Pubs. For sure, these joints all have the requisite flat screens tvs, but the food served… usually doesn’t garner any awards. In addition, I don’t look good in green.

Well, the other day…I found an Irish Pub named Mike’s at Venetia Restaurant & Irish Pub located in Miami. Let me send you to this joint’s website at  www.mikesvenetia.com for menu/prices/photos/details… so you have some idea of what I am talking about.

First of all, Mike’s is located on the 9th floor of a condo building (Venetia by the Venetian Causeway)…so if you are scared of riding in an elevator plan on walking-up 9 stories. This joint has indoor seating-outdoor seating-full bar-tons of flat screen tvs (20 to be exact)-a couple of pool tables-no Rod Stewart impersonator shows…and now get this, good food. Mikes’ menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, burgers, wings, sandwiches, pastas, meat/seafood/chicken entrees. I recently had a 1/2 lb. cheeseburger which was absolutely delicious…I also “sampled” steamed mussels, a tuna salad sandwich, a steak/grilled onions sub and a chicken marsala entree which were all right on the money. By the way, Mike’s prices are neighborhood sports’ bar prices.

Now…just so we are straight, we are not talking gourmet stuff here. We are talking…good sports’ bar food. So, if you live in Mike’s neighborhood, aren’t scared of elevators, or don’t get winded easily…you now know about a real good sports-bar. By the way, wearing green is optional.

Mike’s is open 7 days a week 11am-3am.

*****  Maryland Fried Chicken, NE 36th Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33064 (954) 943-1800.

Under no circumstances are you to tell your cardiologist about this joint. This “hole in the wall” take-out (with a few indoor seats) joint makes some of the most delicious fried chicken that you will ever taste. My favorite combination…fried chicken, onion rings and french fries.

As my grandma Anna use to say…”You only go around once.”

Maryland Fried Chicken is open Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm.

*****  Kon Chau Chinese Restaurant, 8376 SW 40th Street, Miami, Florida 33155 (305) 553-7799.

Kon Chau is right up my alley…  I’m going to guess that this “hole in the wall” amazingly cheap Chinese dim sum joint has been around at least 30 years. I am also willing to bet, that the furniture-decorations today are exactly as they were when the joint first opened. Now about the food…this joint makes some absolutely delicious dim sum and must have at least 60 items…Kon Chau also has loads of top notch Cantonese dishes, so everyone is covered and no one is going to go home hungry…an hour later, that may-be a different story!

Anyway…if delicious Chinese food is your game, this is a real good joint to know about.

Kon Chau is open Monday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm and Sunday 10am-9:30pm.

*****  Whip ‘n Dip Ice Cream Shoppe, 1407 Sunset Drive, Miami, Florida 33143 (305) 665-2565.

There is an old saying…”That one picture is worth a 1,000 words.”…or something like that. Anyway…take a look at the pictures at Whip ‘n Dip’s website www.whipndipicecream.com and I dare you to give me one good reason why you wouldn’t want to get home made ice cream-yogurt- cookies- brownies-baked goods from this joint which has been around for 23 years. If this joint was closer to home, I would weigh something like 536 pounds and be on the Jerry Springer Show.

Whip ‘n Dip is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10:30pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-11:30pm and Sunday noon-10:30pm.

One final note…if you do some Googling, you will find that Japan is currently the home to the “banana diet.” Supposedly, if you eat a banana everyday for breakfast and drink a glass a warm water, you will be as thin as Twiggy (you are showing your age, if you know who I am talking about) in a few short months. Anyway…I am going to eat one of Whip ‘Dip’s chocolate covered bananas everyday for 3 months and see if this diet is for real.