*****  Menu King (www.menuking.com)  *****

Got an interesting site for you to checkout…Menu King www.menuking.com

This site has tons of  South Florida restaurants  listed…for that matter, it has listings for restaurants all over the United States.

The site has reviews, menus, photos…in addition, the site also “sells” restaurant-discount money. You know the game, $10 gets you $20 and $25 gets you $50 etc. Totally legit site. One other nice thing, the Menu King also has a load of FREE DISCOUNT COUPONS that can be used at  listed restaurants.

Just one final note…keep in mind, that there are NO NEGATIVE REVIEWS…afterall, Menu King’s business is to generate business for the listed restaurants.

*****  La Luna Bistro, 5030 Champion Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33496 (561 997-1165.

Over the years, I have eaten in La Luna something like 10 times. Just off the top of my head, I’m gonna say that this Italian joint has been in business at least 20 years. This is not a dumpy pizza joint, but even with its white-tablecloths, your tee shirt/shorts’ ensemble will work. By the way, La Luna is located in the back of a Boca Raton shopping center–Club Shoppes.

Like I said, I have eaten at La Luna a number of times. My most recent outing ( party of four) was last week and my “taste-test” had me sampling veal parmigiana, chicken marsala, eggplant rollatina, fried calamari, clams marinara, steak pizziola and meat lasagna. Just so you know, the food is very good and the prices are no more expensive than your favorite neighborhood Italian joint. Service is very pleasant.

For menu/prices/decor photos, check La Luna’s website at www.lalunabistro.com.

The joint is open 7-days a week for dinner.

*****  Rocky’s Italian Bistro, 20 Southeast 5th Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33483 (561) 276-8703.

Last Sunday night…around 6:30pm my wife and I were strolling around the Atlantic Avenue -area in Delray Beach. For sure, a handful of restaurants in this “faux-trendy” neighborhood have good-reasonably priced food, but there are also a number of  joints,  that are dishing out mediocre- overpriced stuff.

Now for the good news…Rocky’s Italian Bistro is one of the “good guys”…good food, good looking semi-upscale decor (but your tee shirst/shorts will work), good prices, good service.

Now don’t get wise (we had plenty of leftovers to take home)…a taste-test of clams orgenatta, veal parmigiana, chicken piccata, penne alla vodka and linguine with clams in a white sauce, was right-on-the money. The food is as good, if not better than your favorite neighborhood Italian-joint-hangout.

So…the next time you need a good Italian joint to eat in while strolling Atlantic Avenue…Rocky’s is the place for you. By the way, the joint is open 7-days a week for dinner.

       The Knife Argentinian Steak House, 401 Biscayne Boulevard (Bayside Marketplace), 401 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida  33132  (786) 866-3999.

The Knife is a small  “Argentinian Steakhouse” chain.  Take a look at its website www.thekniferestaurant.com  for menu/prices/locations/photos.

Just so you know, this chain has 2-setups…some locations are “all-you-can-eat”  full buffet restaurants…and others are “food court” spots  where you can order various chicken-meat stuff.  From the website, there are full joints in Coconut Grove, Hallandale, Sawgrass and Bayside Marketplace and food courts in Miami Interntioanl Mall and Bayside Marketplace (Bayside has both types of setups.)

Anyway…a couple of  weeks ago,  I “got” a burger and  my wife “got” a  grilled chicken breast  from the Bayside food-court location. GARBAGE!! Salty crappy food. The food was so bad, that after a few bites we threw the stuff in the trashcan.

If we weren’t in such a hurry to get to AAA to watch the NCAA men’s basketball-games…I would have made a major stink to the guys running this craphole.

Based on this “outing”…I wouldn’t even think about trying the full-restaurant setup.

*****  Pocket Change  *****

I recently caught an absolutely dynamite “local”  rock-disco-funk-Motown cover band…Pocket Change.

There are 6 guys in this band and everything they play is “live”…no tracks, no tapes. These guys cover artists like The Eagles, The Four Tops, The Temptations,  Marvin Gaye, The Tokens, The Commodores, Sam & Dave, Prince…and I do mean “COVER” them…Absolutely great musical versions accompanied by some-slick dancing by the upfront men.

This band is so good, that for years, it has been a regular act at joints like Universal Studios, Disney World and Orlando’s House of Blues. These guys also play in tons of local South Florida restaurants-bars, like Blue Martini which has a number of locations.

You definitely want to check this band out…. www.pocketchangephasetwo.webs.com where you will find a full schedule of upcoming performances.

*****  China House, 9050 Kimberly Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida 33434 (561) 477-0041.

Remember that movie “Groundhog Dog” where Bill Murray relives the same day over and over and over? Anyway…I think  you know where I am going with this review on China House, a “mom & pop” Chinese joint in Boca Raton.

Unless you have been living on the planet-Mars for the last 50 years, you know exactly what this joint looks like…my money also says that you know what the menu looks like and what the price-points are. For you Martians, loads of appetizers, meat-chicken-seafood entrees…tons of “specials” and combination plates…soup/egg roll/rice/entree/ice cream or pineapple chunks, give or take $7.95 for the whole shooting-match.

Let me make this one short and simple…China House is a NEIGHBORHOOD CHINESE JOINT…like, you live and work in the neighborhood. The food is good. The prices are good. The service is very pleasant. Is this “outstanding” Chinese food? Nope…but it is good stuff which is probably right up there with your favorite neighborhood eat-in/take-out.

The old Brooklyn “taste-test” netted me won-ton soup, egg rolls, roast pork fried rice, mooshu pork, shrimp with garlic sauce, pepper steak, sweet and sour chicken…everything was just fine, but like I said, “Ground Hog Day.”

China House is a good one to know about, if you live nearby…capice! The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Pine Garden Chinese Restaurant, 1668 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 395-7534.

Not sure how long this “mom & pop” Chinese joint has been around…but I have been eating there for something like 16 years. A few years ago, the origianl owner Maye sold to the current owners,  but the good food-good prices-very pleasant service has been a constant.

The menu has all of the “staples”…and all of the “specials”-soup/egg roll/rice/main dish/dessert $9.95  that your little hearts could desire.  Like I said before, I have been eating this joint’s won-ton soup, egg rolls,  pan fried dumplings, roast pork fried rice,  bbq ribs, sweet & sour pork, general tso’s chicken,  shrimp with black bean sauce, pepper steak, vanilla-strawberry-chocolate ice cream-pineapple chunks…for years, and not  once, had to go to Delray Medical Center or Boca Raton Community Hospital to have my stomach pumped.

This is a real-good neighborhood Chinese joint.

 Pine Garden is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Pompano Beach Seafood Festival-2009  *****

Not sure when this annual event first started…but over the years I have to been to at least 7 of them.

This year, the Pompano Beach Seafood Festival is being held on Friday-Saturday-Sunday…April 24-25-26.

Let me send you to the Pompano Beach Seafood Festival website www.pompanobeachseafoodfestival.com for details.

This is an absolutely terrific out-door event… great weather-great food-great entertainment. This is “why” you live in South Florida.

Don’t miss this one. You’ll have a blast.

  Seasons 52, 2300 Northwest Executive Center Drive, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 998-9952.

Seasons 52 is an “American Style” joint…that serves a  limited menu of appetizers, salads, flatbreads, meat/chicken/seafood entrees and desserts. The game here… nothing on the menu has more than 475 calories.

Just so you know, my wife and kids love this joint…As for me, Seasons 52 isn’t my kind of joint. When I eat-out, I like to E A T  O U T.  I have absolutely no interest in a restaurant that serves… small portions of just ok food  but charges “full portion” prices. Now,  I could be wrong here as Seasons 52 currently has 5 Florida locations and 3 outside of Florida…but I found the food  at the Boca Raton location to be nothing special and the portion-size beyond ridiculous. This a great place IF you want to be on a forced diet.

Let me send you to Seasons 52’s website www.season52.com for menu/prices and photos which will give you some idea of what I am babbling about here.

One side note…the Boca joint has a piano bar. On the night that I was there, Jamie “King” Colton the renowned bluesman was tinkling the ivories. From what I understand, Jamie, a Boca Raton resident has a steady evening gig at Seasons 52, when he is not on tour with his band or touring with folks like Dion DiMucci or some other famous rocker. Checkout Jamie “King” Colton on “You Tube” and “MySpace” and you will find that this guy plays something like 29 instruments, has recorded/performed with the “who’s who” of rock/blues music and had numerous hits as a recording artist with Motown Records.

All I can say, is Jamie “King” Colton would be the only reason why I would eat at Seasons 52 again.

Seasons 52 is open Sunday-Friday 11:30am-10pm and Saturday 11:30am-11pm.

*****  Boca BBQ Express, 9704 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33496 (561) 482-3227.

Wanna know about a terrific bbq joint before anyone else?…say hello to Boca BBQ Express which has been open for something like 10 days.

For sure, this eat-in/take-out joint is still working-out the kinks…but no question in my mind, the food is right on the money. Unlike many joints, “smoke” ain’t the game here and that’s just fine with me. The grilled 1/2 bbq chicken and rack of babyback ribs I sampled were excellent. I also thought that the sweet potato mash, french fries and corn muffins were A-OK.

Boca BBQ’s menu isn’t enormous…but,  I assure you that you will find enough appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, chicken-meat-seafood entrees  to keep you plenty busy. As for price…that full rack of babybacks with 2-sides will set you back 20 bucks and that 1/2 bird with 2-sides goes for $13.

Like I said before, “no smoke” here…the stuff is grilled and then basted with 1-of-3 sauces…the joint has a “house bbq”…a spicy/sweet bbq…and a tropical pineapple bbq. Just so you know, I tried the house and spicy/sweet sauces (to my delicate palate they tasted the same) and I loved the flavor…think Bobby Rubino’s, Shorty’s or Tony Roma’s and you’ll know where I am coming from.

BBQ is a tough call…that’s why there isn’t a national bbq chain. Every region likes “their” ribs prepared a different way.  My preference, gas grilled ribs slathered in a sweet bbq sauce.

If you are on the same-page as I am, you will want to give this joint a try.

Boca BBQ Express is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-11pm.