*****  Woody’s Famous Steak Sandwich, 13105 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami, Florida 33181 (305) 891-1451.

Woody’s…a “hole-in-wall” fast food joint, that has been serving outrageously delicious burgers, fries and philly-steak sandwiches since 1954.

There is absolutely nothing else to say, except…you got to try this joint.

Woody’s is open Monday-Saturday 10am-9pm.

*****  Steve’s Pizza, 12101 Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami, Florida 33181 (305) 891-0202.

Many people swear, that Steve’s Pizza in North Miami makes the best slice of “NY-Style” pizza in all of South Florida. By the way, this “debate” has raged since 1974 when Steve’s a “graffiti covered hole-in-the-wall” first opened its door for business.

For those of you who don’t eat pizza…Steve’s has tons of other stuff like subs, calzones and various entrees…but the game here, is PIZZA.

Now…I am going to let you decide for yourself as to where Steve’s stands on the pizza-totem-pole. What I can tell you, is that this joint is always packed and bangs out thin crusted-sweet tasting slices like crazy…and I would make a 38 mile one-way-drive any day of the week to get two of those slices with a large Coke.

Steve’s is open Monday-Thursday 11am-3am…Friday-Saturday 11am-4am…Sunday 11:30am-2am.

*****  Rustic Inn Crabhouse, 4331 Ravenwood Road, Dania, Florida 33004 (954) 584-1637.

The Rustic Inn Crabhouse has been around since 1955….its name basically says it all…crabs… tons of seafood items. Just so you know, meat/chicken/pasta eaters will be able to “get by” at this joint, but the selection is very limited.

Take a look at this joint’s website at www.rusticinn.com for menu/prices/photos…after looking at the site, you should have a pretty good idea what this super-casual seafood joint is all about. If you wear anyhting but tee shirts/shorts you will absolutely positively be over-dressed.

It’s joints like Rustic Inn Crabhouse that really define South Florida…open-air-casual-dining on the water. The food is real good…The portions enormous…The prices super-reasonable…The wait-service efficient and extremely pleasant.

Rustic Inn is open Monday-Saturday 11:30am-2:45pm (lunch), 2:45pm-10:45pm (dinner) and Sunday 2pm-9:45pm.

*****  Brass Ring Pub, 200 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach, Florida 33408 (561) 848-4748.

If you get yourself a copy of Webster’s Dictionary and look up the defintion of the word “joint”…I’ll bet you that a picture of the Brass Ring Pub is there. Guaranteed, that if you weren’t explicitedly looking for this joint, you would never-ever stop at this restaurant-pub in a million years.

Let’s make this review as simple as possibe…HOLE IN THE WALL…WOOD BOOTHS AND TABLES…WALLS COVERED IN GRAFFITI… TVS-POOL TABLES…OUTRAGEOUSLY GREAT HAMBURGERS AND OUTRAGEOUSLY GREAT CHICKEN WINGS.

Last night was my first time. I loved everything about this joint and unless you are an old “fuddy-duddy” you will to.

The Brass Ring Pub is open 7 days a week 11am-1:30am.

*****  Fu Wing Chinese Take Out, 4784 North Congress Avenue, Boynton Beach, Florida 33426 (561) 434-5990.

The only thing wrong with Fu Wing Chinese Take Out is that it is TAKE OUT ONLY.

This joint makes exceptionally good “NYC style” Chinese food. If you live in Fu Wing’s neighborhood, you absolutely-positively want to pickup food from this joint or have it delivered to your home. Terrific won ton soup, egg rolls, bbq ribs, fried rice, sweet & sour chicken, pepper steak…you’ll swear that the stuff came from your favorite place on Avenue J in Brooklyn circa 1960.

Slowly but surely, South Florida is getting some decent Chinese joints. The quest continues…stay tuned.

By the way, this “hole in the wall” is open Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday 1pm-10pm.

*****  Scully’s Restaurant, 2005 South Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, Florida 33435 (561) 733-4782.

Scully’s is the perfect “diner” joint. If you go to Scully’s website at www.scullysrestaurant.com you will find menu/prices/pictures which will give you a pretty good idea as to what this place is all about.

Whether you eat inside or dine on the “gorgeous out-door patio” (I am being facetious here)…as speeding cars on Federal Highway go-by…Scully’s is a great joint for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This neighborhood restauarnt has been around for years and has a huge local following. Its menu is loaded with breakfast specials, appetizers, burgers, salads, soups, sandwiches, seadood/chicken/meat entrees and desserts all at very reasonable prices.

I am telling you…looking at this joint from the road, you wouldn’t give it a second thought. Over the years, I am sure that literally millions of people have driven by not realizing that they have passed up some of the most delicious burgers, prime ribs, crab-cakes and fried shrimp down here.

You now know about one of the best roadside diners in all of South Florida.

Scully’s is open Sunday-Thursday 7am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 7am-10pm.

*****  Times Square Pizza Parlor, 2304 East Oakland Park Boulevard, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33306 (954) 566-7772.

First…Times Square Pizza Parlor located in Fort Lauderdale is owned/operated by different people than those who own/operate Times Square Pizzeria (Boca Raton) which was reviewed on September 14, 2008.

In the never-ending quest to find great “New York Style” pizza in South Florida, I recently had a couple of slices and a large Coke at Times Square Pizza Parlor…by the way, I also had a meatball sub…and I have to tell you, that the slice and sub were terrific. Times Square is an absolute hole-in-the-wall, but does have tons of dishes to stuff your face with.

Now…I am not suggesting a special road-trip down to/up to Times Square, but if you live in the area or just happen to be in the neighborhood…you now know where you can grab a great “thin” slice and a great meatball sub.

Times Square Pizza Parlor is open 7 days a wwek 11am-11pm.

*****  Tedescos Restaurant & Pizzeria, 218 East Commercial Boulevard, Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida 33308 (954) 493-9233.

Got a  “mom & pop” red-sauce Italian joint for you…Tedescos Restaurant & Pizzeria. The joint is located about 2-blocks from the beach and makes a real-good thin-slice. Tedescos’ other stuff like chicken/veal parmigiana are also pretty decent.

Now…I am not suggesting a special trip to Tedescos. But if you live or are in the neighborhood, you could do far worse.

Tedescos is open 11am-10pm Monday-Saturday and 1pm-10pm Sunday.

*****  Wahoo’s Sports Bar & Grill, 3128 North Federal Highway, Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064, (954) 786-2569.

To paraphrase the great comedian Soupy Sales, “There are more sports-bars in South Florida than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook”…you know the game, there’s this Ale-House and that Duffy’s and this Flanigan’s and that…

Anyway…I recently found Wahoo’s Sports Bar & Grill in Lighthouse Point, which was like a breath of fresh air from the other joints. Wahoo’s has only been opened something like six weeks, so not too many people know about it yet. Just so you know, a poster named Mike on October 2, 2008 under the C.R. Chicks review (10/1/08) gave me the “heads-up” about this joint.

Take a look at Wahoo’s website at www.wahoossportsbar.com. The site has menu/prices/and plenty of photos which should give you a pretty good idea as to what this joint is all about.

Like I said before, sports-bars with large menus and loads of flat screen tvs on the walls are “a dime a dozen” down here in South Florida. For sure, Wahoo’s has the large menu (tons of appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, meat/seafood/chicken/pasta entrees, desserts) and tvs…but what makes this joint stand-out from the others, is that its nautical-decor is very “interesting” and its food is terrific. A recent outing resulted in my “tasting” (someone has to do it) mini burgers, onion straws, french fries, roast chicken, parmesan chicken wings, coconut shrimp, chili, meatloaf, chicken francais and lobster/crab ravioli…I am telling you, most sports-bars don’t even come close to making stuff this good. As for service, “very pleasant and efficient” sports-bar-service… My party of 4 (you knew that I didn’t eat all of that food by myself, didn’t you?) had a waitress named Michele who was absolutely terrific. As for prices, Wahoo’s “is not” and I emphasize the word “not” a $10.95 salad/baked potato/22 oz. ribeye steak sports-bar…that said, you won’t go broke eating at this joint, but a bowl of that chili is going to run you $5.95…chicken francais $14.95…lobster/crab ravioli $21.95.

You now know about a sports-bar that is heads and shoulders above its competition. The joint is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-11pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-midnight.

*****  Jim Belushi & The Sacred Hearts, Hard Rock Live, 5747 Seminole Way, Hollywood, Florida 33314.

Actor/singer/comedian Jim Belushi will be making a rare appearance at Hard Rock Live on Friday night, Decmber 12, 2008 at 8pm with his band The Sacred Hearts. I am telling you, that if you like rock n’ roll and rhythm & blues…you don’t want to miss Jim Belushi & The Sacred Hearts. You can order tickets through Ticketmaster. Belushi’s website is www.jimbelushi.ws…check the site for details about The Sacred Hearts.

Don’t miss Belushi…I caught this act a few years ago in the Hard Rock Hotel’s ballroom (long before Hard Rock Live was built) and Belushi and his band of 8 singers/musicians rocked the house for something like 2 1/2 hours. Yes…Belushi does the “whole” Blues Brothers’ thing with hat and props…If you happen to get lucky with seats near the stage, get ready to personally dance with Belushi in the aisles.

This is an ACT that you don’t want to miss.