***** Peking Duck House, 1200 East Atlantic Avenue, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060, (954) 946-0436.

I know…I know…it is virtually impossible to find a good Chinese joint down here.

For what it is worth, The Peking Duck House serves pretty decent food.

This joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. It has been around for years and the food is actually quite good. Specialty of the house?…I’ll give you 2 guesses.

Just so we are straight… the food is good but it won’t make you forget about your favorite New York City Chinatown joint…I will tell you, that the Peking Duck is right on the money, as are the bbq spare ribs.

*****  China Dumpling, 1899 North Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach 33426, Florida, (561) 737-2782.

Let me make this review real simple…China Dumpling is one of the best Chinese Restaurants in all of South Florida.

This joint looks just like every other neighborhood Chinese joint…that being, formica tables, linoleum floors…you know exactly what I am talking about.

Rather than bore you with tales of “New York Style” this and “New York Style” that, check this joint out for yourself. This joint kind of reminds me of a couple of my favorite New York City Chinatown joints…like I said, try China Dumpling and decide if I am right or wrong on this call.

China Dumpling is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. On price, maybe a few $s more than your neighborhood favorite, but nothing terrible.

By the way, the guy who owns Boca Raton’s upscale Gary Woo’s Asian Bistro…started China Dumpling a number of years ago…just thought you’d like to know.

*****  Lefty’s Tavern & Grille, 5771 Coral Ridge Drive, Coral Springs, Florida, (954) 752-3525.

Tonight I checked out Lefty’s Tavern & Grille in Coral Springs, which opened for business about 6 weeks ago…not bad, not bad at all.

Lefty’s has the obligatory 40+ flat screen tv sets, huge bar area, booth and table seating… throw in a kids’ arcade-game room and you have the picture. I will tell you, that I found the joint visually boring as there are no decorations on the walls other than the tv sets…this can be easily rectified by adding memorabilia pieces and sports related artwork…but for right now, the joint is too monotone for me.

Lefty’s menu is packed with appetizers, soups, burgers, sandwiches, meat-fish-chicken entrees…for some reason, there is a major emphasis on Italian pastas/dishes, but that makes the joint all the more interesting…a spin on the common sports bar/restaurant theme.

A taste test of a patty-melt, NY strip steak, prime rib, chicken parmigiana, house salad, french fries and sweet potato all successfully past…Gourmet food?  Let’s not be silly, but for this type of joint, the food was very good…far superior to the stuff that you get at your local Ale House or Duffy’s. Very competent wait-staff…As for price points, right in-line with what you would expect your neighborhood sports bar to get.

In doing some checking, I found that the there is also another Lefty’s located at 11300 State Road 84, Davie Florida (954) 474-1410…Take a look at the Davie joint’s website www.leftystavernandgrille.com… from what I can tell, the new Coral Springs’ location appears to be a much bigger version of the original and the menu though similar is not exactly the same. A quick Google Search indicates that the Davie joint apparently has been around for a number of years and has quite a loyal following.

If you live in the Coral Springs/Parkland area, Lefty’s is a good place to know about. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Top China Buffet, 4026 West Hillsboro Boulevard, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442 (954) 458-0062.

I never met a buffet that I didn’t like…that is, if the food is half-way decent.

Over the years, I have been eating lunch at a Chinese buffet joint named Top China Buffet which is located in Deerfield Beach. Although I never measured this joint’s physical layout, I’ll bet you that it is 8,500-10,000 square feet…that’s a big joint.

Top China Buffet literally has a million items to select from…you name it and this joint’s got it (Chinese food), including sushi. The food is decent…we are not talking gourmet stuff here…we are talking decent, like “decent” stuff that you get from your favorite neighborhood Chinese takeout. I will tell you, that the bbq spare ribs and won ton soup are worth the price of admission alone, then again the sweet and sour pork is nothing to write home about. Like I said, this joint has something like a million things, so some dishes are going to be better than others.

In addition to having decent food and a very pleasant/attentive staff, Top China is a very clean and well run joint. The people who own this joint, really keep an eye on the buffet and keep everything fresh and well stocked. They also keep the seating-dining area immaculate.

Top China Buffet is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Figure on spending about 10 bucks for lunch and $15 for dinner.

One final note…take this for what it worth…about 5 store-bays down from Top China Buffet is a Cat Hospital…

*****  Josie’s Ristorante, 1602 South Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, Florida 33435, (561) 364-9601.

Josie’s Ristorante is a “mom and pop” Southern Italian Red Sauce Joint. You know the drill, soup or salad, garlic rolls, entree and a side of pasta…pizzas, subs, calzones and strombolis. Prices are neighborhood pizzeria prices…Veal parmigiana $17.99 etc.

Over the years, I have eaten at Josie’s something like 10 times…the food is real good. I especially like Josie’s interior/atmosphere, it looks like an old bar circa 1960 with dark wood tables and booths and bar area. There is also an out-door dining patio. This is a real easy going joint, so tee shirts/shorts are a pretty common site here.

Last night I ate dinner at Josie’s. I “sampled” the veal parmigiana, veal marsala, and zuppa di pesce…everything was right on the money!

If you live in Josie’s neighborhood, this is a good joint to know about…

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

I originally reviewed Jax House Of Ribs on September 18,2008…that review is printed below.

This evening I had dinner at Jax…and I gotta tell you, that this joint has now devloped into an absolutely dynamite “BBQ” restaurant. Delicious bbq chicken, baby-back ribs, cornbread, corn-on-the cob,  fried cheesecake, peach cobbler…

You definitely want to give this joint a try.

*****  Jax House Of Ribs, 5401 Powerline Road, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33309 (954) 776-4994.

Got a pretty decent-budget rib joint for you…Jax House Of Ribs. Jax has only been open a few months having taken over the Sonny’s BBQ location at 5401 Powerline Road. Sonny’s made some of the worse-tasting crap every made… Jax is like a “breath-of-fresh-air”…in that its stuff is pretty good. Take a look at Jax’s website at www.jaxhouseofribs.com for menu/pricing/details.

From what I can tell, Jax did little if anything “cosmetically” to the Sonny’s location. That said, last night’s dinner was actually quite delicious. Baby-backs, bbq chicken, corn-bread, french fries, onion rings and a help yourself salad bar were priced right. Jax has all kinds of “specials”…for 10 bucks or so, you get to really stuff your face…You know the drill here…wood booths, pleasant wait-staff, lots of food…loads of napkins.

Jax is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner…Sunday-Thursday 10:30am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 10:30am-10pm.

*****  Bagels &…6613 West Boynton Beach Bouelvard, Boynton Beach, Florida 33437 (561) 732-9595…&…6556 Hypoluxo Road, Lake Worth, Florida 33467 (561) 963-3500.

Bagels &…has two South Florida locations. Let me make this review real simple…great bagels, great bialys…great appetizing… great deli meats…great looking stores…always busy.

The Boynton Beach store opened in 1994 and the Lake Worth store opened in 1998…I’ll bet over the years, that I have eaten breakfast in the Boynton joint at least 15 times and 20 times in the Lake Worth joint.

Just so you know, both stores are literally “landmarks” so on Saturday & Sunday the lines stretch into the parking-lots to get in.

Bagles &…is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch.

*****  Jay & The Americans

One of my all-time favorite Rock N Roll bands from the 1960s is Jay & The Americans.

Now…it hasn’t been officially announced or advertised, but The City Of Deerfield Beach is going to throw a free Jay & The Americans concert on July 4th 2008 at Ocean Way and SE 1st Street in Deerfield Beach…the party starts at 6pm with the Final Countdown Band opening at 6pm and Jay & The Americans taking the stage at 7:30pm.

You do remember…This Magic Moment…Only In America…She Cried…Cara Mia…don’t you?

Enjoy!!!

*****  101.5 Lite FM’s “Lite Discount Deals” 

Do yourself a big favor and check-out website http://wlyf.lfmeals.com which is sponsored by radio station 101.5 Lite FM. This radio station/site, has a constantly changing list of special promotions which allows you to buy vouchers which give you 50% off the price of meals/services at certain South Florida restaurants and merchants.

It is a totally legitimate site. You can save a bundle of money with these vouchers.

*****  Way Beyond Bagels, 16850 Jog Road, Delray Beach, Florida 33446, (561) 638-1320.

Way Beyond Bagels makes some of the best bagels and bialys in all of South Florida. In addition, its appetizing…like tuna salad, chicken salad are absolutely superb.

Check menu/prices at www.waybeyondbagels.com.

This joint opened about 5 years ago as a take-out  which had a few outdoor tables. Based on its immediate and overwhelming success, Way Beyond Bagels rented the store next to its shop and created a cafeteria-type setup where you can eat the stuff that you purchase at the counter. In addition to all types of bagels, bialys, breads, rolls and cold appetizing, Way Beyond Bagels also has hot breakfast items and meats.

This joint is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. On Saturday and Sunday it is absolutely “zoosville.” I am telling you that Way Beyond Bagels’ stuff is as good as it gets down here in South Florida…that’s why it is always jammed with eat-in and take-out orders.