Stallone’s Italian Kitchen, 9181 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, (561) 483-0093.

Last night I had pizza at this joint. There is an old saying that “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything.” Well…I can’t resist. This was one of the worst pizzas that I have eaten in the past 15 years. This joint should be ashamed of itself. The crap tasted like some 3rd grade “cooking class” made it.

You have been warned. Stay away.

*****  Charm City Burger Company, 1136 East Hillsboro Boulevard, Deerfield Beach, Florida 33441 (954) 421-3925.

Charm City is a fast-food burger joint. It has been in business for about 3 months and looks like a charming cross between a 1950’s fast-food restaurant and a Greenwich Village coffeehouse.  I ate dinner last night and the burger-fries were delicious as was the crabcake on a bun.

Charm City has 2 BIG PROBLEMS…its signage stinks. If you aren’t looking for the joint—you are not finding the joint. In addition, its location on a City Street in Deerfield Beach is absolutely horrendous.

If Charm City was in South Beach, it would be a goldmine. Location, location, location.

If you live in Deerfield Beach or are in the area, Charm City is a good place for a fast-food lunch or dinner. It is open 7 days a week.

*****  Lil’ Ole Caboose, 204 South Powerline Road, Deerfield Beach, Florida (954) 428-1597.

Let me start by saying that my wife  refuses to set foot in this joint…that said, I absolutely love the White Castle style mini-burgers and Nathan’s Famous style french fries that this joint sells. The joint is shaped like a  free-standing red caboose and has  inside and outside seating. Lil’ is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

If White Castle and Nathan’s are your fast-food style, then you are going to  absolutely love this joint. As for why this isn’t exactly my wife’s favorite joint… I’ll let you guess once you have eaten there.

*****  Nestor’s Gourmet Deli, 7050 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida (561) 391-0999,

Nestor’s is a “kosher style” deli that has been around since 1982. The joint does breakfast-lunch-dinner 7 days a week. This joint has more SPECIALS than CBS-ABC-NBC combined aired  over the past 50 years. Nestor’s got a $4.27 breakfast deal…a $7.99 lunch deal…and full dinner deals priced from $11.99-14.99. The food is very good and they have a terrific appetizing department. The joint is always busy.

If you live in the Boca Raton area, Nestor’s should be on your list of joints to try.

*****  Backstreet Grille, 9101 Lakeridge Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida (561) 883-2002.

The Backstreet Grille is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. This joint serves everything from scambled eggs to steaks. The food is very good and the prices beyond reasonable. Backstreet also has a full bar-area which has plenty of large wall-tvs and booth-tvs for the sports crowd. This is a very easy going neighborhood joint, so feel free to wear your favorite tee-shirt/shorts ensembe while dining.

Over the years, I have eaten at Backstreet at least 40 times. In addition, I have had more takeout/deliveries from the joint than I care to remember. The one thing that I can tell you, I have never had a bad meal at or from this joint.  Included in my favorites are “broiled” chicken wings, fajitas, mini-burgers, omlettes and ribs.

My last Backstreet “taste-test” was last night and while packing away 16 honey-mustard chicken wings with french fries, I watched American Idol from 8-9pm on the flatscreen tv which was in my booth.

I am telling you, that if you live in the Boca Raton area, Backstreet is a place that you have to try. Just so you know, it is not your typcial huge sports-bar like the Ale House chain, but rather a small quiet joint that has a great combination of food and tvs without going overboard with  the sports end of things.

Check this joint out!!

*****  Original Frankie’s Famous Pizza, 9118 Bird Road, Miami, Florida 33165, (305) 221-0221

Original Frankie’s which has been around since 1955, is one of the greatest pizza joints on the face of the planet! Frankie’s is ALMOST-STRICTLY TAKEOUT, with 3 small tables outside in its rear parking lot- if you “”insist” on immediately eating your pizza!

Frankie’s sells TWO ITEMS…PIZZA and GARLIC ROLLS…By the way, the garlic rolls are also incredible.

There is absolutely nothing more to tell you about this joint except that you have to try it and that it is open Tuesday-Sunday– Noon-10pm

*****  Frank and Patties, 3800 North University Drive, Sunrise, Florida (954) 749-2424

This afternoon I had lunch at a terrific new 1950’s retro looking fast-food joint, Frank and Patties  located in Sunrise. The menu is real simple…FRANKS-BURGERS-SALADS-CHICKEN BREASTS-MALTS…Frank and Patties  also has other stuff like fries, onion rings, fried pickle chips, chili…

The food is delicous. Think of your favorite sports-bar’s food and I’ll bet you, that this joint’s food is better. The franks (Hebrew National) are served on either a steamy poppy-seed or wheat bun. The burgers can be housed in either a white or wheat bun or a grilled sour dough roll, same goes for the grilled chicken breast. The fries are fresh-hand cut and the onion rings are as big as your fist.  There are 13 different flavored malts. I “sampled” a chocolate one and a peanut butter one and a snickerdoodle one.

Just so we are clear on one thing, Frank and Patties ain’t a DOLLAR MENU JOINT…Figure on spending about $7-10 a head for a meal that you won’t be able to finish.

Frank and Patties has been open about a week and a Sun Sentinel food critic already gave it a great review…so I can’t claim to be Amerigo Vespucci on this one. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week…this is a real good joint to know about if you live or in the Oakland Park-University area.

*****  Gianni’s Italian Restaurant, 1601 East Atlantic Boulevard, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 (954) 942-1733.

I have been stuffing my face at Gianni’s for years. I don’t know how long this Southern Italian Joint has been in business, but my best guess is 20-25 years.

Real simple review…

Gianni’s is an absolutely terrific Italian restaurant. The food is delicious. The service is as friendly and as competent as can be. The prices are no more expensive than your favorite neighborhood “mom & pop” red sauce joint. Just so you know, Giann’s “enormous” garlic rolls are off-the-chart and worth the price of admission alone.

Gianni’s is open for lunch and dinner. If I were you, I would make a reservation, as the joint is always packed in the evenings.

Gianni’s is one of my favorite South Florida Italian Restaurants. Don’t miss this one.

Nino’s in Boca Raton

*****  Nino’s Pizzeria & Restaurant, 7120 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 392-9075—&—13900 South Jog Road, Delray Beach, Florida 33445, (561) 499-3988

Nino’s is one of my favorite “mom and pop” Southern Italian joints in South Florida. I could be going out on a limb here, but I think that after you have tried this joint, you will also become a big fan.

Just so you know, the Boca Raton location has been around for something like 25 years…the Delray Beach location has been in business for about 3 years. Over the years, I have eaten in the Boca location something like 30 times and the Delray location twice…although the menus are almost identical, I like the food, ambiance and service in the Boca restaurant better…call me a creature of habit, but I really feel at home when I enter the Boca joint…from the way I am greeted at the front door, to Nino the owner waving and talking from behind the pizza counter to the customers…the food and service in Delray Beach is just fine, but there is something “special” about the Boca location.

Although Nino’s seemingly “follows” the standard pattern…Soup or salad, garlic rolls, entree with a pasta side…this joint makes some of the most  delicious dishes and pizza that you have ever eaten. I would personally match its veal chop parmigiana—bone in chicken cacciatore— bone in chicken scapriello—shrimp scampi entrees against any Italian restaurant down here in South Florida.

Like I said before, Nino’s has been around for something like 25 years. The Boca Raton joint is jammed for dinner 7-days a week and has a takeout business that seems to be never ending. The Delray Beach spot has also  developed quite a following…but my heart belongs to the Boca joint. Both joints are open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

Great food. Great service. Pizza joint prices…

By the way, Nino and his wife Josephine own Josephine’s Italian Restaurant which is located on Federal Highway in Boca Raton. That’s a story for another day…but Josephine’s is a very good “white table cloth” joint.

***** Matteo’s Restaurant, 233 South Federal Highway, Boca Raton Florida 33432, (561) 392-0773—&—1825 East Hallandale Boulevard, Hallandale, Florida 33009, (954) 455-4050

Matteo’s is a Southern Italian Restaurant. Matteo’s has 2 South Florida locations. Matteo’s is not cheap, but you won’t go to the poor-house, if you order sensibly. Matteo’s serves both family-style and individual sized portions. Matteo’s food is absolutely sensational. Matteo’s wait-staff is probably the best in all of South Florida. Matteo’s is always jammed.

Check Matteo’s website www.matteosrestaurants.com for menu/pricing/details.

Matteo’s is one of my favorite Italian Restaurants.

End of story.