Bova Cucina, 1901 North Military Trail, Boca Raton, Florida 33431 (561) 392-5595.

You know…if you dress a monkey in a $2,500 suit (in this case the suit is a great looking restaurant), it’s still a monkey.

Do me a favor and read my review for Mario’s of Boca (July 21, 2008)…it wasn’t very favorable.

Well the owners of Mario’s, recently changed the joint’s name to Bova Cucina and started a “dinner-promotion”…last month it was $8.95, this month it’s $9.95…the “deal”…soup or salad, garlic rolls, entree, pasta side and they throw in a cannoli for dessert.

Well, it’s still the same monkey dressed in the “$2,500 suit”…and the food is still mediocre.

The other night the joint was jammed with “bargain hunters”…trust me on this, the portions are small and like I said before, the food isn’t very good… your favorite neighborhood “mom & pop” serves better stuff.

Fool me once, shame on you…fool me twice, shame on me.

*****  Norman’s American Bar & Grill, 6770 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33141 (305) 868-9248.

Let’s call Norman’s a “local pub”…this joint which has been around for something like 29 years, has the expected-menu of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches and meat/chicken/seafood entrees. Don’t believe me?…checkout its website at www.normans.biz for menu/prices…there are also photos which will “tell” you as to exactly what this joint is all about.

Nothing fancy here…real casual restaurant, decent enough food, pleasant service, reasonable prices. Norman’s has indoor/outdoor seating.

A recent “taste-test” of  a caprese salad, cheeseburger & fries and grilled steak fajita wrap found everything to be right on the money!

If you are in Norman’s neighborhood, this is a good joint to know about for an uncomplicated-lunch or dinner.

The beautiful thing here, Norman’s is open, noon-5am 365 years a year.

*****  Rinaldi’s Italian Deli, 5029 A Okeechpbee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33417 (561) 471-7737.

Let’s start the month off with a terrific “hole in the wall” Italian-deli…Rinaldi’s in West Palm Beach. If this joint was by my house, I’d probably weigh something like 523 lbs…

Rinaldi’s,  which has a handful of tables inside and 3 outside…has a menu loaded with breakfast stuff, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas. Take a look at this joint’s website www.rinaldisdeliofwpb.com for menu/prices.

A recent “taste-test” of a chicken parm 10″ sub, philly cheesesteak 10″ sub, sausage & peppers 10″ sub, chicken salad 10″ sub…each $7.50…made me a huge fan of this joint. By the way, for you wiseguys (not the Tony Soprano types) out there, no… I didn’t “finish” the 4 subs in one seating.

Like I said before…HOLE IN THE WALL.

Rinaldi’s is open Monday-Friday 7am-5pm, Saturday 7am-3pm and is closed on Sunday.

*****  Elbaum’s Gourmet Deli, 13800 Jog Road, Delray Beach, Florida 33484 (561) 921-0619.

Just a bit of history…a number of years ago, a  great looking 150-seat “bagel-deli” joint named Lox Around The Clock went through 2-different owners before closing…let’s be kind and say that lousy food and piss-poor service did the joint in. Well…about 3 weeks ago, Lox Around The Clock re-opened with a new name and new owner…Elbaum’s Gourmet Deli.

Last night, I ate dinner at Elbaum’s Gourmet Deli and I got-to-tell you, the food was very good, the service and  prices just right.

Elbaum’s is owned/operated by Bob Elbaum…for those who like to know stuff, Bob also owns 2-terrific Bageland “bagel-deli” joints, one in Tamarac and the other in Coral Springs (I’ll tell you about these joints in a future review).

Elbaum’s menu is packed with breakfast dishes, sandwiches, burgers, salads, meat/chicken/fish entrees. There are numerous breakfast-lunch “specials” and complete dinners run $11.99-$16.99…talk about “feeding you”…last night my broiled roumanian $16.99  steak dinner came with bread basket, pickle-health salad bowls, choice of soup/chop liver/salad, choice of 2-sides, dessert and beverage…my wife’s greek-style roasted chicken dinner ran $12.99.

Now about the food…my steak and her chicken were delicious…same goes for the chopped liver, salad, potato pancake and egg barley. I also sampled a couple of pieces of  pastrami-corned beef-brisket…and they were all very good. During my meal, I noticed a load of sandwiches and meat platters coming out of the kitchen…Elbaum’s definitely isn’t skimping on portions.

By now…You guys know the “usual”  South Florida “bagel-deli” game…loads of food, cheap prices, mediocre food.

Elbaum’s breaks the mold…the food is really good. Elbaum’s is open 7-days a week from 8am-8pm.

   The Melting Pot, 5455 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33487 (561) 997-7422.

Let’s start this review by saying…The Melting Pot is NOT my kind of restaurant. This “fondue” joint has 142 locations in 37 states including the 7 that I know about in South Florida. So…someone must like this type of “interactive dining” where you dip/ dunk chunks of meat/seafood/chicken and other stuff  in various melted cheeses, chocolate, hot oils etc….but it isn’t me. Personally, I just don’t get this kind of self-help eating… but there are probably loads of 7 and 8 year olds who will vehemently disagree with me.

If you are still interested in getting information about this joint… The Melting Pot’s website is  www.themeltingpot.com.

Maybe roasting a marshmellow or two at a summer-sleep away-camp…but sitting in a restauarnt dipping and dunking away…no thanks!

*****  Salerno Pizza, 5557 Southeast Federal Highway, Stuart, Florida 34997 (772) 286-5505.

Salerno Pizza is my kind of  a “red sauce” joint…this place reminds, me of many of the hole-in-the wall pizza joints that I grew-up with in Brooklyn way back in 1950’s-60’s. From what I understand, Salerno has been around for something like 28 years…the decor– red molded plastic booths/ formica tables and you see the pizza guy making the pizzas (that figures) behind the counter.

Salerno has the full boat of appetizers, hot and cold subs, pastas, pizzas and meat/seafood/chicken entrees. Check its website at www.salerno-pizza.com  for menu/prices.

Now use your head here… a veal parm dinner (salad, pasta side, garlic rolls) will set you back the princely sum of $12.95… a chicken parm goes you  $11.95… and linguine & clams is gonna run you $9.95—gourmet stuff, now let’s not be silly. Good tasting stuff (by the way, the pizza is very-good) at super-reasonable prices…in a REAL PIZZA JOINT.

Salerno is open Monday-Thursday 11am-9pm, Friday-Saturday 11am-9:30pm and Sunday 5-9pm.

*****  Johnnie Brown’s Burgers, Wings, Ribs & Classic Rock, 301 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach  33483.

Hey Jeff Eats, why are you telling us about a joint, that doesn’t even exist? Because…I want you to be one of the first to know, that Elwood’s Dixie Barbeque which has been around for something like 12 million years, was recently sold to Nick Nicholas and Jay Patrinos who run one of “my-most” favorite restaurants in the whole wide world, Primanti Bros….that Elwood’s will be remodeled–renamed Johnnie Brown’s–and probably have some of the most incredible, reasonably priced  food that South Florida has ever seen…but then again,  I am just guessing.

Look for Johnnie Brown’s to open sometime in October 2009.

*****  Max’s Grille, 404 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, Florida 33432 (561) 368-0080.

Max’s Grille is an “American-style Grille” joint (that figures) located in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park…there is inside and patio seating if people watching is your bag. You can get menu/prices/pictures at Max’s website www.maxsgrille.com.

Just so you know, I used some of those  “discount-bucks” (or whatever they call them) that South Florida Dines peddles www.southfloridadines.com and had a real nice dinner, for something like 50 cents on the dollar. By the way, the regular prices aren’t half-bad…but a deal is a deal.

Anyway…nice looking-modern joint. Very professional service. A menu loaded with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers and meat/chicken/seafood entrees…and like I said before, the prices are just fine.

My “taste-test”…cheeseburger & fries, shrimp scampi, roasted chicken and blackened mahi-mahi… all very nice.

Max’s has been around for something like 18 years…it has a very steady clientele and the food has been consistently good. There really isn’t too much more that you can say about a joint, with that kind of a track record. Except…that it is open Sunday-Thursday 11:30am-10pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm.

       Thirsty Turtle Seagrill, 9908 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434 (561) 852-6244.

Thirsty Turtle Seagrill is a “sports-bar”…dark wood decor, sports memorabilia on the walls, flat screen tvs, pool table, live music (Wednesday-Sunday nights)…there are 3 locations, Boca Raton, Juno Beach and Port St. Lucie. Check the joint’s website at www.thirstyturtlefl.com for menu/hours/pictures.

I recently gave the Boca Raton location a shot… The good news, although the menu features “seafood” there are enough appetizers, salads, sandwiches, burgers, wings and meat/chicken entrees  so no-body is going to starve. The bad news is, that after trying the cheeseburger, philly cheesesteak sandwich, wings, clams casino, fried shrimp, bbq ribs, french fries… the food is just passable.

You and I know both know, that most of these “ale house sports-bar” restaurants are not exactly bastions of  great-food. Most of these joints have just “ok” food (microwave-city), pleasant service,  reasonable prices, loads of tvs and are real casual.

 Going in…you know what you are “in for.” With that in mind, Thirsty Turtle is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  The 9 Best Coal Oven Pizza Joints In South Florida  *****

Over the past few weeks, a number of  you guys…asked me to name my favorite  South Florida coal-oven pizza joint. It was a “tough call”…

Here’s a list for you…by the way, you may find a wood-fired or a brick-oven joint thrown into the mix. In descending order…with only PIZZA being rated.

1. Carolina’s Coal Fired Pizza & Pasta  (Delray Beach) (5/27/08)

2. Mona Lisa Coal Oven Pizza (Deerfield Beach) (4/24/09)

3. Tucci’s Fire N Coal Pizza (Boca Raton) (5/15/09)

4. Andiamo! (Miami) (8/29/08-brick oven)

5. Pieducks (Miami) (11/28/08-brick oven)

6. Giovanni’s Coal Fired Pizza (Parkland) (3/9/08).

7. Sicilan Oven (Lighthouse Point) (3/14/09-wood fired)

8. Scarfone’s Coal Fired Pizza (Coral Springs) (6/6/08)

9. Bella Cucina Wood Fire Pizza (Palm Beach Gardens) (1/13/09-wood fired)

Now, you may or may not be asking…How come Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza which has locations all over South Florida, isn’t on the list? Answer…the above 9 joints are better.

If you check my writeups, you will find other… very good coal oven/wood fired/brick oven pizza joints…it was a close call, but these are my 9 favorites.

One of these days, when I am feeling super ambitious, I’ll get you a list of my 9 favorite “regular” pizza joints.