*****  Ferrara’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 445 Lantana Road, Lantana, Florida 33462 (561) 533-1600.

Fuggedaboutit!! Got an absolutely great “mom & pop” red-sauce Italian joint for you…Ferrara’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Lantana.

Neighborhhod joint prices. Neighborhood decor. Neighborhood service. Off the chart-food.

A “taste test” of gnocchi ala vodka, veal marsala, shrimp fradiavolo, pepperoni pizza, fried calamari, and chicken parmigiana… received an “A”…nothing more to say, except this joint’s menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, soups, subs, pizzas, pastas and meat/chicken entrees…

Ferrara’s is open Sunday-Thursday 10am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 10pm-10pm.

*****   Memphis BBQ & Blues Restaurant, 1225 Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401 (561) 832-8774.

BBQ “anything” is a tough call…It seems that everybody likes their bbq a “certain way.” Personally, I like Chinese-style ribs…but every so often I get in the mood for “smoked” stuff.

If smoked-ribs, pork, chicken, brisket is your game, I got a real-good bbq joint for you… Memphis BBQ & Blues Restaurant located in West Palm Beach. This is a relatively new joint…that’s been in business for less than a year and is “housed” in what use to be the famous Tom’s Place. Rather than rehashing history, Tom’s was a bbq joint that started out in Boca Raton something like 30 years ago and had various “machinations-reincarnations” over the years. Anyway… Memphis BBQ & Blues give or take a few new wall-decorations, looks just like Tom’s last spot did…nothing fancy, just loads of tables and chairs and tons of bbq/and southern-style stuff being served. At this juncture, take a look at  Memphis BBQ & Blues’ website www.memphisbbqandblues.com for menu/prices.

Like I said before, smoked-isn’t really my game… but I have to tell that I did enjoy  a “taste-test” of, baby-back bbq ribs, pulled pork sandwich, bbq beef brisket,  bbq chicken, seafood gumbo, fried shrimp, macaroni & cheese and collard greens.

If you like smoked-bbq, you’ll really enjoy this joint. The menu is packed with all kinds of  reasonably prices bbq dishes…not to mention fried stuff galore. Memphis is open 7 days a week from 11am–“until late in the evening.”  By the way, various blues-musicians play during lunch-hours.

*****  Bogart’s Bar & Grille, 3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 395-4695.

Got something “unique and different” for you…Bogart’s Bar & Grille which is an “American Style” joint…located in Muvico Palace 21…that’s right, this “almost” semi-upscale joint is located in a movie theater.

Just so you know, you don’t have to “go to the movies” to eat in this joint…That said, my best guess, is that most people who eat in Bogart’s eat there before or after a movie. Now…I called this an “almost” semi-upscale joint, but for “our” purposes think-Cheesecake Factory and you’ll have a real-good idea as to what this joint is all about. Take a look at Bogart’s website www.bogartsofboca.com for menu/prices.

The other night, I caught that Clint Eastwood film “Gran Torino” and then had dinner in Bogart’s. I had a reservation…and would suggest that if you plan on trying this joint, that you also have one…a ton of people already know about Bogart’s. By the way, I didn’t care for the picture, but that’s a story for another day.

Now let’s talk food…the menu is loaded with appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, meat/seafood/chicken entrees and desserts. The “taste-test” (there were 6 of us) of pork potstickers, chicken lettuce wraps, meatballs, onion straws, french fries, macaroni & cheese, caesar salad, beef sliders, fried chicken, shrimp florentine, grilled porkchops, chocolate cake & vanilla ice cream…worked-out just fine. The food-portion size-service… is Cheescake Factory quality. The prices are a drop higher than Cheescake’s, but nothing too terrible. By the way, I checked the “lunch menu”…it is a limited menu, but the prices are “very” reasonable, more in-line with T.G.I. Friday’s price-points or your favorite neighborhood bagel-deli.

Like I said before…although, Bogart’s is located in the theater, you don’t have to buy a movie ticket to eat in this joint…it has its own entrance. The food is really good…I am assuming that you have eaten in a Cheesecake Factory as a point of reference…handsome-casual decor, good food, large portions, good service, reasonable prices.

One other observation…based on what Muvico gets for a large Coke and a large popcorn, Bogart’s is actually a BARGAIN.

Bogart’s does lunch Monday-Friday 11am-3pm and dinner 7 days a week.

*****  De Pietro’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 2550 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409 (561) 697-4992.

Got a  real-good NEIGHBORHOOD “mom & pop–red sauce Italian” joint for you. Let me send you to De Pietro’s website www.depietrospizzeria.com  so you will know what its menu/prices are all about. Nothing fancy here, so your tee shirt and short’s ensemble will work well at this joint.

Just as you would expect, De Pietro’s menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, pastas, soups, chicken wings, subs, pizzas and meat/seafood/chicken entrees. Now for my taste-test (don’t get “sick here” there were six of us)…fried ravioli, pizza, calzone, veal parmigiana, shrimp fra diavolo, eggplant parmigiana, fried calamari, penne alla vodka, meatballs and spaghetti…everything was right on the money.

De Pietro’s is a “neighborhood” joint…the bet here, is that De Pietro’s is probably as good, if not better than most of the joints in the area…So, if you live near De Pietro’s…give it a try and just- maybe you’ll have a new Italian restaurant to eat-in/take-out from.

De Pietro’s is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and is closed on Sunday.

*****  Alabama Joe’s, 6316 Lantana Road, Lake Worth, Florida 33463 (561) 963-3393.

Alabama Joe’s is a “sports bar.” The joint’s complete name is, Alabama Joe’s Front Row Sports Theater & Grill…

If you live in Lake Worth, you got-to try this joint if, …big bars, loads of huge flat screen tvs, young energenic waiters/waitresses, reasonable prices and dynamite food are your game. Take a look at Alabama Joe’s website www.alabamajoes.com for menu/prices…there is also a handful of pictures which will give you a real good idea of what this large-modern joint looks like.

A few nights ago, I gave Alabama Joe’s a shot…the menu is loaded with appetizers,  salads, wings, flatbread pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and meat/seafood/chicken entrees. A “taste-test” of a “Fat Bastard Burger” which consists of 2- 10 oz. beef patties, lettuce, tomato, American cheese and coleslaw… and southern fried chicken, philly cheese-steak sandwich, steak fries and macaroni & cheese, made me into an Alabama Joe’s believer. The food was just terrific. Not to name-names, but its food is far superior to the stuff served at the local haunts… Duffy’s, Flanagans, You Name It Ale House.

Now that the Dolphins are in the Play-Offs…and the Heat is back on track…”you” South Floridians have a reason to hit the sports-bars once again.

Like I said before, if you live in Lake Worth, Alabama Joe’s is a good joint to know about. Alabama Joe’s is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-2am and Saturday-Sunday noon-2am.

       Boston Market, 7020 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433 (561) 392-2795.

Boston Market is a  national “fast-food rotisserie chicken” chain. If you check its website www.bostonmarket.com I guarantee that you will find a location in your neighborhood. The chain in one form or another Boston Chicken/Boston Market has been around since 1985. Although the joint’s menu features items such as roasted turkey, meatloaf and sirlion beef…most people “think” of Boston Market as a chicken restaurant. Just some history, this chain back in 1999 went bankrupt and McDonald’s now owns/operates the current business.

Do you know what garbage is?…Well if you don’t, eat-in/take-out food from this joint and you will. A recent outing had me trying the chicken, turkey, meatloaf, sirlion…and macaroni & cheese-vegetable stuffing-green beans-mashed potatoes-corn bread sides. Bad?…let’s just say, that the chicken was “beyond belief” fatty and salty… the turkey was stringy and dry…the meatloaf and sirlion had absolutely no taste…the sides were passable, except the corn bread was one step away from having the consistency of a hockey-puck.

Boston Market is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Your local deli, Publix, Costco has better stuff.

*****  Damon’s Grill, 4660 North Ocean Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 33308 (954) 489-1544.

Damon’s Grill is an 80-unit “sports-bar” chain…there is only 1 South Florida location…Lauderdale-by-the-Sea.

Everyone and their mother knows that there are more “sports bars” in South Florida than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook. If we are talking FOOD, Damon’s is one of the better players in this “arena.” Take a look at its website at www.damons.com for menu/prices.

Picking “top” sports-bars is a very tricky business… What I do know, is that Damon’s has the requisite bar, flat screen tvs…in addition, its food is heads and shoulders above the stuff served in most of the joints in South Florida.

Damon’s is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Golden Chopsticks, 4350 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33308 (954) 776-0953.

Golden Chopsticks is a good  NEIGHBORHOOD CHINESE joint…operative word here, NEIGHBORHOOD…like you live in the neighborhood…

A recent taste-test of wonton soup, bbq ribs, pan fried dumplings, egg rolls, roast pork fried rice, sweet and sour chicken and shrimp with Chinese vegetables was just fine…

You know exactly what this joint looks like…there must be a “master-mold” somewhere…The menu is loaded with “specials” and combination plates.

Like I said before, if you live in the NEIGHBORHOOD, you now know about a good joint for eat in/take-out. Golden Chopsticks is open Monday-Friday 11:30am-11pm and Saturday-Sunday 12:30pm-11pm.

*****  Muncheez, 6640 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33141 (305) 868-8282.

Muncheez is a “hole-in-the-wall” American-fast-food joint. Something like 2 tables inside and 2 tables outside. Take a look at www.eatatmuncheez.com for menu/prices.

Muncheez is my kind of joint…wings, chicken fingers, burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads, onion rings, french fries. Order and pickup at the counter.

In a recent outing, I was like a pig in sh@t… cheeseburger and fries drenched in ketchup, grilled Sabrett hot dog topped with mustard and sauerkraut, onion rings and a Coke. Just what the old cardiologist ordered.

Muncheez is a real good place to know about, when the “urge” hits (which in my case is every day). The joint is open Friday-Saturday 8am-midnight and Sunday-Thursday 11am-11pm.

*****  La Sandwicherie, 229 14th Street, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 532-8934.

Do you know why the Avenue de Chames-Elysees is lined with enormous-shade-oak trees?…So the marching German troops don’t get over-heated.

Anyway…La Sandwicherie is an absolutely dynamite “French Sandwich” joint…check its website www.lasandwicherie.com for menu/prices.  By the way, you won’t need 3 years of high school French to figure out that… La Sandwicherie is really just a “sub-grinder-hero” joint playing the French “angle”… When you check its menu, you’ll be greeted by all your American favorities like, roast beef, turkey, tuna… nothing French about most of its stuff…prices are neighborhood-sub joint prices.

By the way, my taste-test consisted of two sandwiches… lettuce/tomato/onions/ mayo/ham/turkey-sub and a grilled toast with ham & swiss… and a caesar salad.

La Sandwicherie makes some great sandwiches and salads…throw in a juice-bar and gourmet coffees and you got everything that “clubbers” and the rest of us need…as the joint is open 7 days a week 10am-5am.