*****  South Florida Dines (www.southfloridadines.com)  *****

If you like to save money and who doesn’t…got a great site for you to checkout, www.southfloridadines.com  This site has something like 150 restaurants listed where you can purchase “discount money”…you know the game, $25 gets you $50, $12.50 gets you $25 etc…which can be used in listed restaurants.

The site is 100% legit.

Just so you know, every listed restaurant has a video-menu-review…This site provides great “info”…but keep in mind that South Florida Dines is a business, so everything written is “just honky-dory.”

Anyway…the list of restaurants constantly changes and there are a number of really good ones listed.

*****  Two Georges Waterfront Grille, 728 Casa Loma Boulevard, Boynton Beach, Florida 33435 (561) 736-2717.

The first thing that you guys got-to-do…check Two Georges’ website www.twogeorgesrestaurant.com for menu/prices…there also loads of pictures which “alone” should convince you to give this “American-Style” joint a shot.

Let’s call Two Georges a “package deal”…The joint, which has been around since 1957 is an open-air bar-restaurant located on the Intracoastal…DECENT FOOD. DECENT SERVICE. DECENT PRICES. DYNAMITE AMBIANCE/LOCATION/TIKI DECOR.

Two Georges menu is loaded with appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/chicken/seafood entrees. Like I said before, the food is just-OK…so don’t expect gourmet stuff. This joint is a tee shirt/shorts ensemble place. This is the type of restaurant where you go for a casual meal when you are feeling real-easy.

Two George’s is open 7 days a week 11am-2am.

One final thought…Two Georges has a gigantic following. Parking stinks, so think-valet.

*****  Worstpizza.com  *****

I like to share…check-out www.worstpizza.com these guys run around South Florida and elsewhere trying to find great-pizza.

I enjoy this website and have gotten some great “places” to chow-down on some really decent pizza. Most of the time, the recommendations are spot-on.

Enjoy!!

*****  Cardello’s Italian Restaurant, 1447 10th Street, Lake Park, Florida 33403 (561) 848-0123.

Cardello’s is my kind of a joint…

Just so you know, we are not talking gourmet stuff here. We are talking, in no particular order…  LOTS OF RED SAUCE, HUGE MENU, LARGE PORTIONS, CHEAP PRICES, GREAT HELP, LARGE BAR, SUPER CASUAL, LOTS OF RED SAUCE (I think I already listed this one), WEEK-DAY BUFFET, DECENT ENOUGH FOOD.

 Imagine the PERFECT ITALIAN JOINT for a college-town…and you got Cardello’s. Appetizers, pastas, subs, pizzas, meat-chicken-seafood entrees.

Cardello’s is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday 10:30am-10pm. The bar area, with a full menu is open 7-days a week to 2am.

*****  The Burger Beast  *****

Got a great website for you guys to check-out… www.burgerbeast.com.

The folks who run this site… literally, run all-over South Florida and elsewhere, eating burgers-fries-you name it…and post some great photos and restaurant reviews. It’s one of my favorite blogs.

These guys have turned-me on to some dynamite joints…

*****  Coco’s Cafe, 1236 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33483 (561) 279-9328.

Let’s call Coco’s Cafe a “hole in the wall” diner.

This terrific joint is open 7 days a week from 7am-10pm. Its menu is packed with breakfast-stuff, burgers, subs, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads…not to mention, 24 gelato flavors. Delicious food. Very reasonable prices. Extremely pleasant service. The joint even has a couple of outdoor tables, if dining al fresco is your bag.

If you wear anything but tee shirts/shorts, you are going to be over-dressed.

*****  Hot Tomatoe Italian Wine Bistro, 626 South Federal Highway, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441 (954) 785-5058.

Got a real-good “mom & pop” Italian joint for you…Hot Tomatoe Italian Wine Bistro in Deerfield Beach. Personally, I think that this joint’s name stinks, but that’s the only complaint here. Hot Tomatoe serves really good stuff and yes, it has a nice-sized list of Italian-wines.

Check Hot Tomatoe’s website www.hottomatoe.com for menu/prices.

A recent “taste test” of chicken marsala, veal parmigiana, veal piccata, zuppe di pesce and cheese ravioli was right on the money. Just so you know, Hot Tomatoe’s pastas, breads and mozzarrella are all made-in house. Nice sized portions. Very pleasant wait-staff. Neighborhood pizza joint prices.  The joint’s decor is a “step above” pizza  joint-formica. Your tee shirt/shorts’ ensemble will work.

I really enjoyed this joint. Unlike most “mom & pop” joints…the stuff here isn’t massed produced. Everything is made to order. The menu is a-bit limited, but you will definitely find something to eat.

Hot Tomatoe is open for lunch, Monday-Friday 11am-2pm and for dinner, Monday-Thursday 5:30pm-10pm, Friday & Saturday 5:30pm-10:30pm and Sunday. One final thought, Hot Tomatoe has a very-loyal following…so, on Friday and Saturday nights, I would book a reservation.

*****  Positano, 4400 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 391-2120.

Positano is an Italian joint located in Boca Raton.

Check-out www.positanoristoranteitaliano.com for menu/prices…there are also loads of photos which will give you some idea as to what this restaurant looks like.

Real fast…indoor and out-door patio dining.  A recent “taste-test” of shrimp oreganata, veal parmigiana, chicken cacciatore and gnocchi sorrentino…found everything just fine. The food is probably as good as your favorite neighborhood-Italian pizzeria joint. Very nice looking joint, and its white table cloths won’t preclude your wearing a tee shirt/shorts’ ensemble. Wait-staff very friendly and competent. As for prices, maybe a buck-or two more than neighborhhod pizza joint prices.

I really enjoyed my meal at Positano. Good food…nice ambiance…good service…reasonable prices. A very nice change from the “standard” neighborhood booth joints.

Positano is open Monday-Thursday & Sunday 5pm-10 and Friday-Saturday 5pm-11pm.

Flanigan’s Seafood Bar & Grill, 45 South Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 395-4699.

Many people literally swear by this “American-style” sports bar…the last time I checked, there were Flanigan’s all over South Florida…real quick, locations that come to mind, Boca Raton,  Deerfield Beach, West Palm Beach, Hollywood, Pompano Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Hallandale Beach, Coconut Grove and Lake Worth…trust me, there are many-more locations…so if you want to eat at Flanigan’s “one” won’t be too far from your home or business.

Personally, I don’t care for this joint…for sure its menu has loads of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, pastas and meat-seafood-chicken entrees, full bar,  very reasonable prices, loads of flat-screen-tvs…I just don’t think that the food is anything special…Over the years (at the invitation of others) I must have eaten in the Boca Raton location something like 5 times…I have “dined” on this joint’s bbq ribs, burgers, fried shrimp, pasta, steamers, french fries, surf & turf and prime ribs… each time, I wondered (to myself and sometimes out-loud)  as to what all the “fuss” was about. Maybe I’m crazy, but I just don’t get this joint…at best, the food is just-ok. To me, this joint is a “jack of all trades”…in that it serves all types of food, but doesn’t make any one item that good.

Anyway…you can decide this one for yourself. Check Flanigan’s website www.flanigans.net for menu/prices/locations.

The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  China Gardens Restaurant, 14400 Military Trail, Delray Beach, Florida 33484 (561) 498-5226.

A number of you guys e-mailed about a “mom & pop Chinese” joint…China Gardens Restaurant, telling me about how good the food was, blah, blah blah. Anyway… last night I gave this joint a shot and “right-you-were”…the food is absolutely delicious.

China Gardens Restaurant is as you would expect, a “hole in the wall” located in a non-descript small South Florida shopping center. Guaranteed (unless you are a recent arrival from Mars) you know exactly what the decor is…what the menu is…and what the price-points and “specials” are.

Now let’s talk food…like I said before, DELICIOUS. Now for the  official-results of my “taste test”….wonton soup (A), egg drop soup (A), hot & sour soup (A), egg roll (B+), pan fried dumplings (B+), sweet & sour pork (A+), chicken egg foo young (A), sizzling steak (A), shrimp with vegetables (A), shrimp with lobster sauce (A), roast pork fried rice (B+)…

Now I may-be going out on a limb here, but…my money says that China Gardens Restaurant is probably better than your favorite neighborhood-Chinese joint. Let me go one step further, China Gardens could “make it” in New York City’s Chinatown.

Based on my first outing, I will definitely be back for a second round.

China Gardens Restaurant is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday 2pm-10pm.