***** Pete’s A Place, 3417 Davie Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33312 (954) 791-3613.

If you look up the phrase “hole in the wall” in Webster’s Dictionary…you will find a picture of Pete’s A Place, located on Davie Boulevard. No inside seating…a pickup-window–two old benches outside- if you want to eat “there.”

Take it from this Brooklyn-Boy…some of the best pizza, pasta, subs and other “red sauce” Italian stuff that you’ve ever tasted…for cheap mone!

I got nothing else to say about this joint…except that it is open 7-days a week.

*****  Bare Bones Grill & Brewery, 4817 Southeast Dixie Highway, Stuart, Florida 34997 (772) 286-35353.

Bare Bones Grill & Brewery is a  casual-moderately priced “American-style” joint. There is both indoor seating–and water-view patio seating (the joint is located on a waterway in the Manatee Pocket).

Bare Bones Grill is “what” Florida is all about…great looking restaurant (the water view alone, is worth the price of admission)…throw in real-good food, good prices, good service…and this place is a winner. You can check Bare’s site at www.barebonesflorida.com for menu/details.

The other night I did some heavy-duty taste-testing. In no particular order, onion loaf, crab cake, bbq ribs, bbq chicken, teriyaki chicken on a kaiser roll, frenh fries. This joint makes real-good stuff. You gotta try the ribs—super good.

Bare Bones’ menu has the full boat of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/seafood/chicken entrees…just so you know, this ain’t a sport-bar…this is a “real” restaurant with a “real” chef.

Bare Bones is open Monday-Thursday 11am-10pm, Friday & Sunday 11am-11pm and Sunday 11am-9pm.

*****  The Association  *****

Got a great idea for you, assuming you like 1960’s Rock N’ Roll…

On July 4, 2009 The Association will be the featured act at the City of Deerfield Beach’s July 4th celebration. The Association which had such monster-hits as Cherish, Windy, Never My Love and Along Comes Mary is set to perform from 7:30pm-9pm at the Main Beach Parking Area, Ocean Way & SE 1st Street, Deerfield Beach, Florida.

THE SHOW IS FREE.

For further info, you can contact the City of Deerfield Beach at (954) 480-4433.

*****  Pizza Stop Pasta, 911 Village Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409 (561) 712-1671.

First things first…back on March 9, 2009 I did a writeup on Pizza Stop located in Coral Springs. Pizza Stop Pasta…different joint…different owner.

Pizza Stop Pasta is a “mom & pop” red-sauce Italian joint. Unless you’ve been on Mars for the past 20 years, you know exactly what Pizza Stop’s decor looks like…what its menu is all about…what its prices are. Check Pizza Stop’s www.pizzastoppasta.com for info–that you may not know.

Let’s call this a NEIGHBORHOOD joint…like if you live or work in Pizza Stop’s neighborhood. Decent enough pizza, veal parm, chicken parm, veal marsala, shrimp scampi, garlic knots. Nothing amazing…but ok-stuff.

Pizza Stop Pasta is open 7 days a week 11am-10pm.

*****  Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill, 1821 Cordova Road, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33316 (954) 768-8990.

Got a real good “mom & pop” American-diner joint for you…Gilbert’s 17th Street Grill.

The menu is not large…but has enough soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, grilled items and desserts…so nobody’s gonna starve. A recent outing netted me a cheeseburger, bbq ribs and a philly cheesesteak sandwich…everything was delicious and priced just right. Nothing fancy here, just real good food. Take a look at the joint’s website www.gilberts17thstgrill.com  for menu/prices/details.

Gilbert’s is open Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm. The joint is closed on Sunday.

*****  Joseph’s Classic Market, 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, Florida 33486 (561) 347-2314.

Unitl yesterday, I had never heard of Joseph’s Classic Market…anyway, this “upscale” food-market has three locations…Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach.

Today, I gave the Boca Raton location a “shot”…the joint has 9,200 square feet and opened on June 11, 2009. 

I gotta tell you, that this Joseph’s joint is terrific…fruits/vegetables, baked goods, prepared foods, meat-seafood counters, pizza/sub counter, fresh juices, wines, salad bar…it even has outdoor seating for those who want to eat right-then-and-there.

At this point of the discussion, I would suggest that you check Joseph’s website at www.josephsclassicmarket.com for locations/menu. The store is neat and clean… the food is beautifully presented…the staff is sharp…and amazingly, the prices are neighborhood supermarket prices…a pound of chicken salad runs $7.99…a whole roast chicken goes for $5.99…a quart of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice $2.50.

Take it from this born and bred Bohack and Waldbaums’ boy…you will be impressed with Joseph’s Classic Market.  The food in this joint  “looks” absolutely incredible…a sampling of roast chicken, pizza, chicken salad, tuna salad, bbq ribs… all delicious. The breads,pastries and cakes are made-in-house…and the “prepared food” (heavy on the Italian stuff) will have you drooling on the display cases.

The joint is open Monday-Saturday 8am-8pm and Sunday 8am-6pm.

*****  Jax House of Ribs, 5401 Powerline Road, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 (954) 776-4994.

I originally reviewed this BBQ-joint on September 18, 2008. Back then, I told you that it was a relatively new restaurant that had good bbq…that it was “located” in a former Sonny’s BBQ outlet.

Anyway…tonight I had dinner at Jax…and I gotta tell you, that this joint has developed into an absolutely terrific bbq-restaurant.

This evening, I “tried” the baby-back ribs, bbq chicken, corn bread, corn on the cob, sweet potato,  garlic toast, peach cobbler and fried cheesecake –everything and I do mean everything was delicious. Throw in ridiculously low prices and…

I am telling you, that this CASUAL-UNPRETENTIOUS-EASY GOING joint is a must try.

Checkout Jax’s website at www.jaxhouseofribs.com for menu-prices -details.

Jax is open Monday-Thursday 11am-8:30pm, Friday 11am-9pm, Saturday 11:30am-9pm and Sunday 11:30am-8pm.

Just a heads up…  South Florida Dines www.southfloridadines.com has discount “money” for this joint.

*****  Rosinella Italian Trattoria, 525 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 672-8777…&…1040 South Miami Avenue, Miami, Florida 33130 (305) 372-5756.

A few days ago, I gave Rosinella Italian Trattoria a shot…there are 2 of these joints, I ate in the one located on Lincoln Road. You can check Rosinella’s website at www.rosinella.net for menu/prices/photos/other stuff.

Personally, I find most of the joints in the “Lincoln Road” area to be over-priced and not very good…wanna-bes and tourists help fuel the fire. By the way, if you are one of those wanna-bes or tourists, no offense intended…but you guys are letting tons of “South Beach” joints get away with murder.

Anyway…Rosinella is a terrific joint for lunch or dinner. This casual Italian joint is “un-pretentious” and serves some excellent appetizers, salads, pizzas, pastas, sandwiches and meat-chicken-seafood entrees…all at very reasonable prices. Throw in the fact, that you can watch wanna-bes and tourists while you eat…and Rosinella is my kind of joint.

I recently did lasagna di carne (veal & beef), gnocchi bolognese, chicken parmigiana, chicken marsala and seared tuna… real good stuff.

So, you now know about a real good Italian joint that is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Geronimos Bar & Grill, 3528 South University Drive, Davie, Florida 33328 (954) 474-9998.

Geronimos Bar & Grill is a “sports bar”…it’s located in a non-descript strip center…right near Nova University. Unless you were looking for the joint, you would pass it right-by.

If you are over the age of 6 months…you know what Geronimos looks like…flat screen tvs, bar, tables-chairs…for some reason, the joint features that UFC stuff on its tvs…that’s the new “sport” where people  literally beat the crap-out of each other.

Anyway… unlike, most of its sports-bar brethern, Geronimos has really-really good food. The joint’s menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, meat-seafood-entrees. At this juncture you might like to check its website at www.geronimosbar.com for menu/prices/photos/other information.

A recent “outing” netted me… onion soup, bacon cheeseburger, dolphin oreganato, grilled chicken breast, chicken macadamia, chicken parm-sub, onion rings, steak fries…like I said before, the food is really-really good. As for prices, neighborhood sports bar prices…service is sports-bar pleasant.

Geronimos is open 7 days a week.

*****  The Draft House, 22191 Powerline Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33433 (561) 368-3292…&…201 West Camino Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 394-6699.

 The Draft House is a “sports bar”…there are two of them in Boca Raton. You know the story decor-wise…tvs, bar, tables-chairs, pool tables

Tried the joint located on Powerline Road. Not exactly gourmet food…but the  bacon-cheeseburger, bbq ribs, shrimp scampi and buffalo wings were just fine…not bad for bar-stuff. Take a look at The Draft House’s website www.drafthouse.net for menu/prices/pictures/etc.

You know and I know that “these” type of joints are basically all the same…so if you live or work near The Draft House, you got another joint where you can catch some sports-tv, with decent enough wings, burgers, ribs.

The joint does lunch and dinner 7 days a week.