*****  Country Ham N’ Eggs Restaurant, 4405 El-Mar Drive, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 33308 (954) 776-1666.

This morning I had breakfast at a joint named Country Ham N’ Eggs. Do me a favor and take a look at Country’s website at www.countryhamneggs.com. The site has menu/prices/and other details…There are also tons of pictures and customer comments that will give you an absolutely perfect picture of what this “hole-in-the-wall diner” is all about.

Country Ham N’ Eggs has been in business since 1968. The joint does breakfast and lunch 365 days a year from 7am-2:30pm. This is the kind of joint that I absolutely love…A small eat-at counter, a handful of booths and tables and a small outdoor patio…the whole shooting match is circa 1960. Good food. Good prices. Friendly and competent wait-staff.

Let me put it to you this way…if Denny’s could duplicate Country Ham N’ Eggs’ style-food-service (but it can’t)…it would be one of the most popular and successful breakfast-lunch chains in America.  Country Ham N’ Eggs is nothing more than a local neighborhood diner…what makes it so very special, is that its owner and his employees make you feel right at home…not to mention that the food is pretty decent.

I will definitely be back.

*****  Bagels With Cafe & Deli, 1732 South Federal Highway, Delray Beach, Florida 33483 (561) 279- 4799…&…7111 North State Road 7, Parkland, Florida 33073 (954) 510-0205.

This morning I had breakfast at the Bagels With Cafe & Deli located in Delray Beach…there is also another location in Parkland.

If memory serves me correctly, the guy(s) who owns Bagels With has something like a 15 year history with South Florida. Way back when, I recall 2 Boca Raton locations, one that closed and one that was converted  literally over-night into a Too Jay’s Deli. Anyway, I don’t know what the facts and circumstances of the openings and closings were…what I do recall, is that the bagles, bialys, appetizing and breakfasts were absolutely top-notch.

Well they’re back…The joint in Delray Beach seats about 36 inside and maybe 20 outside. The stuff that this bagel-deli joint makes is as good today as it was years ago.

Like I said before, there are 2 locations…I have not yet visited the Parkland joint.

Bagels With is open 7 days a week…Monday-Friday 6:30am-4pm and Saturday-Sunday 7am-4pm.

*****  Perrini’s Pizzeria & Ristorante, 19585-M State Road 7, Boca Raton, Florida 33498 (561) 488-4371.

Perrini’s which seats 28, is a red sauce-hole in the wall-Southern Italian joint…it has been in the same spot for something like 22 years. I have eaten in Perrini’s exactly twice…the first time, something like 10 years ago and the second being this evening. There is an old saying “out of sight out of mind”…well, Perrini’s is located in a strip-shopping-center which I hardly visit. Anyway…10 years ago, I loved its pizza…

Tonight, I sampled Perrini’s veal parmigiana, chicken marsala, shrimp scampi and pizza…and I have to tell you, that the pizza was absolutely terrific…actually it was one of the best slices that I have had down here in South Florida. The other stuff was very good, but the pizza is in a league of its own.

Like I said before, Perrini’s is a hole-in-the-wall…From any seat in the house, you can see the pizza ovens, kitchen and the entire “take-out department.”  This is strictly a “mom & pop” affair, so don’t expect anything special decor-wise. You know the drill here, soup or salad/entree/side of pasta/garlic rolls…the veal parmigiana and chicken marsala go for $15.49…the shrimp scampi is a buck more at $16.49…a large pizza goes for $13.49. Perrini’s menu also has daily “specials” like a large pizza and one dozen chicken wings for $17.99.

I am telling you, that the pizza alone makes Perrini’s a home-run joint in my mind. If you live in the Boca Raton area, Perrini’s is a real good place to know about.

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

*****  Myron’s Delicatessen, 1800 SW 3rd Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33069 (800) 843-4753.

Last night I played some poker at the Isle Casino & Racing at Pompano Park. After losing only 22 bucks (just in case my wife is reading this) I and a couple of friends had a “bite” at Myron’s Deli which is located in the casino-facility.

Myron’s is a New York City Kosher Style Deli…the joint is done-up to look like a deli circa 1950s. Just so you know, all of the restaurants at the Isle are owned/operated by the Isle of Capri Casino…take a look at its website at www.isleofcapricasino.com for a list of restaurants/hours/and other details.

Last night, Myron’s passed the pastrami, corned beef, brisket test. The sandwiches were nice sized. The meats were as good as those served in your favorite neighborhood bagel joint. As for prices, $3-$4 more than what the local joints get…Hey! come on, the casino is like a movie theatre or an amusement park,  you are what they call a “captive audience,” so you pay more, it’s just that simple. Have you seen what it costs to “feed” a family of 4 at a Heat or Marlins’ game?

You now know about a joint where you can get a nice deli sandwich, soup, knish…assuming Lady Luck hasn’t entirely wiped you out.

Myron’s is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-1am and Friday-Saturday 11am-3am.

*****  Galuppi’s, 1103 N. Federal Highway, Pompano Beach, Florida 33062 (954) 785-0226.

Last night, I had an absolutely terrific time at a joint named Galuppi’s in Pompano Beach. Just so you know, Galuppi’s which calls itself  “Galuppi’s Restaurant, Patio Bar & Banquets” is actually located on the public Pompano Beach Golf Course… the view from its out-door patio of the course is absolutely amazing.

Galuppi’s is basically a restaurant/catering facility. There is a small indoor restaurant that has a large sit-at-bar, 4 booths and maybe a half-dozen hi-tops…outside, there is another sit-at-bar and loads of tables…there is also a banquet room attached to the restaurant that can be used for private parties or for restaurant customers. Now, to put this whole layout in perspective…go to Galuppi’s website at www.galuppis.com where you will find actual pictures of what I have been blabbing about, along with menu/prices/and other details.

Last night, Galuppi’s which does lunch and dinner 7 days a week and brunch on Sunday had The Beatles’ tribute band “Anthology” performing from 8pm-midnight. Suffice it to say, this joint was absolutely packed… the restaurant-the banquet room-the outside bar/patio…the band was on a small stage on the patio and I’ll bet you that from 8:30pm-10:30 pm (time I was there) there were at least 500-600 people maybe even more, eating…drinking…dancing. I am telling you, it was an absolutely great “party.” By the way, there was no cover charge or minimum…so for the price of a meal or a drink…or for that matter, just walking in…got you into this “concert.”

Just a quick note, “Anthology” was terrific. They were dressed in replicas of The Beatle’s Shea Stadium army-uniforms and had the requisite Beatle haircuts…they did some great covers of The Beatles’ hits. The group is extremely personable and their interaction with the crowd had the joint really jumping. Their faux British accents which came and went all evening long, added to the fun…and yes, they even have a left-handed bass player. You can check “Anthology” out at www.myspace.com/fab4anthology. I guarantee that based on last night’s action, Galuppi’s owners will have “Anthology” back for another gig in the very near future. 

I already gave you this joint’s website…take a look at its menu. There are plenty of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees and desserts to keep everyone busy…By the way, the prices are very reasonable and last night our waitress Bobbi-Lynn was absolutely terrific despite the fact that the joint was absolutely packed (and I do mean packed). Last night I had babyback ribs, I also sampled the crab-cakes, snapper francaise and steak kabobs. The food is decent. Personally I would put it about “1-notch” above the stuff you get in your typical neighborhood sports bar. Just so you know, Galuppi’s also has tons of flat screen tv sets inside and outside…Last night every set was tuned to the Olympic Games, so if “The Beatles” weren’t your game, you could scream for the American swimmers.

One thing that I found interesting…the banquet room has sound-proof glass. Amazingly, while eating in the room, you couldn’t hear the out-door crowd or the band at all.

Galuppi’s is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week and for brunch on Sunday. According to its website, the joint has all kinds of entertainment and “specials”…so If you want to try Galuppi’s, I would suggest that you “call ahead” to find out “what’s on tap” (pun intended).

*****  Tasti D- Lite, 821 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 532-6855.

Tasti D- Lite is a “hole in the wall” take-out joint located in Miami Beach…what exactly it sells, I don’t know…except that it is called Tasti D- Lite. The best way to explain the “product” is that when you are eating it, it looks and tastes and feels just like the soft serve stuff that Dairy Queen and Carvel make…Tasti D- Lite has something like 100 “revolving” flavors and an ounce of the “whatever-it-is” only has 14-17 calories. The joint also has tons of “toppings” that you can add to the soft-serve.

Tasti D- Lite  which has been around since 1987, has tons of stores in New York and New Jersey, but for right now, there is only one joint in South Florida. Take a look at Tasti D- Lite’s website at www.tastidlite.com for flavors/locations/details.

Last night, I had a Dutch Chocolate cone…I have to tell you, that this stuff is absolutely delicious and if it really is as low-calorie as it claims to be… it’s every dieter’s dream come true. Just so you know, a couple of these cones (one of which had a topping added) ran close to 10 bucks. For right now, I am going to blame the “South Beach” location for the high-price… Based on the fact that Tasti D- Lite recently announced a very aggressive franchise program, I expect to see other South Florida locations in the near future…and my money says that the soft-serve will be cheaper outside of the South Beach area.

Anyway…Tasti D- Lite is terrific. It is absolutely delicious.

The joint in South Beach is open Monday-Thursday 11am-11pm…Friday-Saturday 11am-1am…Sunday 11am-midnight.

*****  Splitsville Bowling Billiards & Dinner Lounge, 615 Channelside Drive, Tampa, Florida 33602 (813) 514-2695.

If you do some checking, earlier today I did a writeup on Lucky Strike Lanes an upscale-bowling joint located in Miami Beach. In that review, I told you that Lucky Strike was a terrific 21st century bowling alley/sports bar combination. I also mentioned that Lucky Strike Lanes is a chain operation with something like 15 joints, one of which is located in Florida.

I just wanted you guys to know, that there is a single-joint-operator in Tampa, Florida who in my opinion has “outdone” Lucky Strike Lanes. The joint I am talking about is Splitsville. I have been to Splitsville exactly twice…10/1/05 and 7/29/06. I didn’t bowl, but ate dinner.  Splitsville’s website is www.splitsvillelanes.com. Take a close look at the photos/menu/pricing/other details… I found Splitsville’s decor more creative… its menu “deeper”… its food” better” and its price-points “more” customer friendly.

Comparing Lucky Strike and Splitsville is like comparing a Six Flags amusement park to a Disneyland or Disney World or Universal Studios…Lucky Strike is terrific, Splitsville is incredible.

This bowling alley/sports bar concept is a great idea…I just thought you would enjoy comparing two “takes” on the same basic “concept.”

*****  Lucky Strike Lanes, 1691 Michigan Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 532-0307.

A few months back, this guy Barack Obama got me thinking that I should take-up bowling again…If I recall correctly, the last time that I bowled was around 7 years ago at Don Carter’s All Star Lanes in Boca Raton and I didn’t even crack 100. Not sure on this, but I think that the time before Don Carter’s was at Leader Lanes in Brooklyn, New York sometime around 1964…Even back then I was a sub-100 bowler.

Anyway…last night I tried a joint called Lucky Strike Lanes which is the 21st Century’s version of the bowling-alley. For all of you Ray Bluths, Don Carters and Dick Webers out there, this joint is hi-tech bowling alley “meets” sports bar.

Take a few seconds and visit Lucky Lanes’ website at www.bowlluckystrike.com where you will find photos of this joint/menu/and other details. For those of you too lazy to go to the website, Lucky Lanes is a phenomenal looking “neon lit” bowling alley which has a fantastic-upscale-looking sports bar.

Now let’s talk food…Lucky Lanes is not and I emphasis the word “not” a full scale restaurant…Let’s call it a very good-very moderately priced “finger food” joint. If you check this joint’s menu, you will find that it has plenty of  chicken, seafood, meat skewers…boneless chicken”fingers”…pizzas…salads…burgers…sandwiches… and desserts…Trust me, you will find something to eat and surprisingly for a South Beach joint at TGI Friday’s prices. On the actual bowling part of the gig, shoe rental goes for something like $4 and depending on the time of the day, figure a per-player-per game fee of between $5-7. Let’s do some real quick math here…4 people bowling 2 games around 9pm are going to spend something like $16 for shoes and $56 for games for a grand total of $72 and that doesn’t include food or drink. Not too terrible…but not something that you are going to be doing every night. By the way, Lucky Strike does have a bunch of adult and kid party packages (that require a minimum of 8 bowlers) which provide shoe rental/bowling/food & beverage at discounted prices.

Lucky Strike Lanes is a chain operation with something like 15 locations. For right now, there is only one joint in Florida. Keep it to yourself, but I have heard that Lucky Strike is planning to open locations in Plantation and Coconut Grove sometime in the very near future…but that’s just a rumor for right now.

Lucky Strike only has 14 lanes, so if you plan on “bowling” I would suggest that you have a confirmed reservation. The joint is a kid’s paradise during the day and does tons of birthday parties. Although kids can bowl during evening hours, Lucky Strike really is an adult joint when the sun goes down.

Lucky Strike is “doing for bowling” what Dave & Buster’s is “doing for the game-room arcade”…namely, taking a time tested/time worn concept and putting a fresh-new-updated version out there that both kids and adults will enjoy.

Lucky Strike is open Friday-Monday 11am-2am and Tuesday-Thursday 11am-1am.

Just so you know, somethings never change…last night I bowled an 82 and a 91.

*****  Pizza Rustica, 863 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 674-8244.

Pizza Rustica is a small pizza chain which currently has 7 South Florida locations and a handful of locations elsewhere.

This joint’s concept is real simple…slices and salads are ordered/picked-up at the counter …there is something like 20 different topped slices and maybe a dozen or so different salads. You can check Pizza Rustica’s website at www.pizza-rustica.com  for menu/pricing/locations/and other details.

I have eaten “dinner” in the Delray Beach joint at least 5 times and the Miami Beach location 3 times…and I have to tell you that the pizza is pretty decent. Pizza Rustica has a very simple formula for making its pizzas…rectangle-shaped pizza shells are pre-baked and then filled (and finished off) with the various “toppings.” I have “sampled” bbq, NY steak, margherita, chicken parmesan, sausage and pepperoni slices and like I said before, the stuff is pretty decent…the same goes for a chicken caesar salad that I have had several times.

Every time that I have been at Pizza Rustica, the joint has been jammed. As for pricing, maybe a buck more than you are use to paying at your neighborhood pizza joint for a nice-size slice, same on the salad.

Pizza Rustica: Order at the counter…Pick-up at the counter…Grab a table.

Pizza Rustica is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

       Joe’s Famous New York Style Pizza, 21401 Powerline Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33433 (561) 483-7900.

Joe’s is a “hole-in-the-wall” order at the counter joint. Joe’s has pizza, calzones, strombollis, subs and a few other items.

The other day, I stopped by Joe’s and grabbed a couple of slices and a Coke. Absolutely horrendous pizza. Can’t tell you about the other stuff this joint makes.

Joe’s won’t be seeing me again…and if you are smart, Joe’s shouldn’t be seeing you either.

For those of you who want first-hand knowledge, Joe’s is open 7 days a week from 10am-11pm.