*****  GG’s of New York, 5440 N. State Road 7, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33319 (954) 484-0400.

You know and I know, that South Florida has more “mom and pop” Italian joints “than you can shake a stick at.” Some are good…some are lousy…some are terrific…and some are just okay.

GG’s is a red-sauce “mom and pop” Italian joint…for the purpose of this exercise, let’s rate it REAL GOOD.

Over the years, I have eaten in GG’s something like 10 times. Real good pizza, pastas, veal-meat-chicken-seafood entrees. You know the game here…garlic rolls, salad, entree with a pasta/vegetable side.

Take a look at GG’s website www.ggsofny.com for menu/pricing/details. What I especially like about this joint, is that it has a very extensive menu…it is absolutely loaded with appetizers, subs, soups, salads, pastas, pizzas, entrees and desserts…you will definitely find something to eat at GG’s.

To be perfectly honest with you, GG’s is probably as good if not better than 90% of the “mom and pop” red sauce joints that I have eaten in…and trust me, there have been a ton of them. GG’s is not close to my home…if it were, I would eat there more often.

If you live in GG’s neighborhood…this is a real good place to know about.

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

     New York Prime, 2350 NW Executive Center, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 998-3881.

This evening I ate dinner at New York Prime an upscale steakhouse…you know exactly what this kind of joint is all about…where a  22 oz. bone-in-ribeye goes for $42…where a baked potato goes for $7.50. Personally, if I closed my eyes and just ate, I couldn’t tell you if I was in New York Prime, Abe & Louie’s, Chops, Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris… as they all play the same tune, give or take a different “note” here and there. As for tonight’s food, it was okay, nothing great…the steak was very fatty…the hash browns bland, your neighborhood bagel-deli makes better ones and doesn’t charge $11…the onion rings and sauteed onions sides were good,  but pricey at $8 and $11 respectively. 

For information about menu/prices/hours… check this joint’s website at www.centraarchy.com.

Just for fun…Do a bit of homework here…look at the menu prices and figure out what “your” theoretical meal would cost. I think your calculator will show, that unless you eat like a bird… a no alcohol-no appetizer-no dessert meal is going to run you something like 60-85 bucks a head. 

Last night, my party of 4 dropped $300+…everyone agreed that the food was just fair and was way overpriced.  For that kind of money, you would expect at least one “Boy! that sure was delicious” comment…don’t you think?

I know people who swear by this joint…Personally, I think it’s “a- big- to-do-over-nothing.” The same goes for most of the upscale steak joints in South Florida, with one exception that being the Strip House (see review 5/9/08) in Palm Beach Gardens which doesn’t take itself all that seriously.

*****  Big Louie’s, 1990 East Sunrise Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (954) 467-1166.

Big Louie’s is a local red sauce Southern Italian chain…there are currently 7 locations. Check Big Louie’s website at www.biglouies.com for menu/prices/locations. Over the years, I have eaten in 3 of the 7 locations…and all of the joints’ menus were basically the same.

You know and I know, that South Florida has more “mom and pop” red sauce chains than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook…I am not going to name names, but you know that, 9 times out of 10 the food is average at best. Anyway…somehow Big Louie’s has managed to break the mold. Now we aren’t talking gourmet stuff here, but most of the pastas and chicken-veal-meat-entrees are a step or two above chain “quality.” In addition, Big Louie’s makes a nice pizza pie.

 Now, no one is telling you to dump your favorite red-sauce joint for Big Louie’s…What you now have, is “another” place to enjoy half-way decent pizza and other standards.

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

*****  Kyojin Buffet, 3485 North Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306 (954) 568-2208.

Kyojin Buffet is a Japanese/Chinese buffet-joint…which currently has 4 locations,  Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, Miami and Lauderhill…I have eaten in the Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale restaurants a combined total of 9 times… If sushi is your game, the buffet is loaded with choices…plenty of soups, meat-seafood-chicken dishes, not to mention desserts…there are also guys working habachi grills, who will make you all the bbq ribs-chicken-steak-shrimp that your little heart desires. The food is pretty decent… but it won’t make you forget your favorite Japanese or Chinese joint…the joints are kept exceptionally clean and the buffet is constantly replinished.

Take a look at Kyojin’s website www.kyojinbuffet.com for menu/pricing/locations. Kyojin is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner…by the way, this isn’t one of those “bargain” buffets…lunch and dinner prices differ, but figure on spending around 25 bucks or so for the dinner buffet. One final observation…everytime I have eaten at Kyojin, it has been packed…which leads me to believe that a whole lot of people like the food and consider it a bargain for the money.

*****  Palm Beach Bagel Bakery & Restaurant, 9858 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33496 (561) 883-3535.

Palm Beach Bagel Bakery & Restaurant has literally taken Boca Raton by storm…in 2 short years, this bagel-deli has opened 3 terrific joints. The original location is on Clint Moore Road…the second and third locations are at, 21065 Powerline Road, Boca Raton (561) 477-7077 and 1200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton (561) 998-8868.

Down here in South Florida, you don’t get away with opening 3 joints in record time, without having the goods…Palm Beach’s bagles/bialys are terrific… not to mention delicious appetizing, deli meats, sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads.

Palm Beach Bagel’s 3 locations are open 7 days a week from 7am-3pm.

*****  Roasters’ n Toasters, 9465 South Dixie Highway, Miami, Florida 33156 (305) 251-4848.

Roasters’ n Toasters “official name” is…Roaster’ n Toasters New York Deli & Bagels… you  now know exactly what Roasters’ n Toasters is all about.

Roasters’ currently has 4 South Florida locations…the address listed above is the original joint. Take a look at Roasters’ website at www.roastersntoasters.com  for menu/pricing/locations…notice that all 4 locations do breakfast and lunch…in addition the Davie joint does dinner on Friday-Saturday.

Roasters’ n Toasters is an excellent NY-kosher style deli. Give this joint a try…good bagels, deli, appetizing…

***** Augy’s Pizza Restaurant
1501 Northwest Boca Raton Boulevard
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
(561) 368-1330

Augy’s Pizza Restaurant is literally a Boca Raton landmark…it has been feeding local families, businessmen and FAU and Lynn University students for years.

Let me make this brief…About 2 years ago, Augy’s got new owners… The guys who took over Augy’s “changed” a pretty good pizza joint into one of the best red-sauce joints in South Florida. Just so you know, the decor is still “pizza joint,” but the food is absolutely terrific. Prior to the “new owners” I had eaten in Augy’s maybe  5 times… since the change-over, something like 15 times. I am telling you, that the pizza, pasta, meat-fish-chicken entrees are top-notch.

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

   Jerry’s Famous Deli, 1450 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139 (305) 532-8030.

Jerry’s Famous Deli is an absolutely gorgeous 1940’s retro looking kosher style deli located in South Beach…that has absolutely horrendous-overpriced food. This joint is strictly for the tourist crowd…and for late night clubbers too drunk to know any better.

Stay away.

*****  New York Italian Ice King, 707 North Broadwalk #4, Hollywood, Florida 30019 (954) 921-2292.

New York Italian Ice King is located “on the beach” in Hollywood. I suggest that you immediately go to New York Italian Ice King’s website www.nyitalianiceking.com… Now after looking at that site, you know that I am not crazy when I say, “that this joint which opened in November 2007 is one of the greatest places in South Florida”…that is, if you love cream/water ices (the joint has 100+ favors), ice cream, milkshakes, penny candy, fudge, jelly apples, salt-water taffy, soft pretzels, carmel corn, egg creams… and 1950’s decor/rock n roll music.

All I can tell you…YOU HAVE TO TRY THIS JOINT…

New York Italian Ice King is open 7 days a week.

*****  Offerdahl’s Cafe Grill, 17940 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, Florida 33496 (561) 995-7355.

For the the “uneducated,” Offerdahl’s Cafe Grill is owned by Johnny Offerdahl who played for the Miami Dolphins in the 1990s. While playing, Johnny started a retail bagel store business which was fittingly called Offerdahl’s Bagels…In 1995 Johnny retired from football and also sold his 10 Offerdahl’s Bagels stores to Einstein Bagels. Fast forward to the year 2000 and Johnny  now decides to get back into the “bagel business” and opens a new joint called Offerdahl’s Cafe Grill, which is a bagel store that not only does bagels/breakfast but lunch and dinner salads/soups and hot entrees…Today, Johnny has 9 locations in South Florida. Check Offerdahl’s website at www.offerdahls.com for menu/locations.

You know what a “just okay” joint is?…well, Offerdahl’s is just that. Think a minature Panera Bread and you got Offerdahl’s. Your favorite neighborhood bagel joint has better bagels…better breakfasts…better everything. Like I said two seconds ago, think a smaller version of Panera Bread and you know the whole story here…the food is okay but nothing that you have to run-out for.

So…why is old Jeff Eats giving Offerdahl’s the revered *****?…because old Johnny was one of hell of a middle linebacker and old Jeff Eats is a Dolphins’ fan.

Finally, some of the inquisitve folks out there may just be wondering why Johnny Offerdahl decided to get back into the bagel business (2000) in the first place. Now don’t hold me to this, but I suspect that somewhere along the line Einstein’s Bagels defaulted on some part of its original buyout deal, which then allowed Johnny to get back into the game, I mean bagel business…or, Johnny had a 5 year non-compete agreement with Einstein’s which expired in 2000…Anyway, Johnny is back.