*****  Saratoga Ristorante Italiano–1917 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, Florida 33020–(954) 923-0100

Let me start by saying, that Saratoga is one of the best Southern Italian restaurants in South Florida. This joint has only been in business for about four months, so guaranteed you are one of but a handful that even knows that it exists.

Before the “debacle” which erased over 300 writeups, I had one which rated Matteo’s with locations in both Boca Raton and Hallandale Beach as one of my favorite Southern Italian joints for family style dining. To make this review simple, the owner of Saratoga is a fellow by the name of Julio, who at one time or another general managed both Matteo’s locations. He also owned a joint in Lighthouse Point named Julio Caesar’s. Suffice it to say, that Saratoga is a “combination” of the best of Matteo’s–some original Julio dishes–at price-points about 10-15% lower than Matteo’s.

The food is absolutely great.  Humongus individual and family style portions. Beautiful surroundings (but  you can still wear your shorts/tee shirts). Terrific service.  

You now know about one of the best joints in South Florida before almost anyone else does.

Saratoga is open 7 days a week for dinner and for lunch Monday-Saturday.

Chops Lobster Bar, 101 Plaza Real South, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 395-2675

This joint opened about a year ago in Boca Raton. It is an “upscale” steakhouse, which is “full of itself.” The food is fair at best…the service is barely passable…and the prices are for the business-account crowd.

Don’t even think about spending your hard earned money at this joint.

Unlike Al Gore, I didn’t invent the internet. Actually, I have absolutely no idea how the damn thing works. Do you? I didn’t think so. That said,  after many conversations, e-mails and letters, the “guys” who virtually erased an entire site, now have it “back up.” Just so you know, on the day JeffEats went down, there were over 300 restaurant reviews posted. The geniuses who built-run t

***** Steve’s Wood Fired Pizza
9180 Glades Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33434
(561) 483-5665

Steve’s Wood Fired Pizza is a “pizza joint” that you have to try…no, make that, you must try. This “hole in the wall” joint, located in the back of a large Boca Raton strip-shopping center, makes some of the most delicious thin crisp (10″) pizzas that you have ever tasted. Steve’s pizza-selection is so huge, that I suggest that you visit its website at www.steveswoodfiredpizza.com and take a look at its menu. This joint also makes some top-notch appetizers, salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps, pastas and desserts.

Like I said before, Steve’s is an absolute hole in the wall, with maybe a half-dozen tables. This is strictly a tee shirt/shorts kind of a joint and you can see the kitchen from any seat in the house.

Steve’s is open Monday 4pm-9pm, Tuesday-Saturday 11:30am-9:30pm and Sunday 3pm-9pm.

***** Lotus Chinese Kitchen
1434 Northeast 26th Street
Wilton Manors, Florida 33305
(954) 566-5565

Before we “discuss” the Lotus Chinese Kitchen, do me a favor and read my writeup on a joint named Dragon Gate. Go ahead, I have a few minutes.

Now that you know the difference between a DESTINATION CHINESE JOINT and a NEIGHBORHOOD CHINESE JOINT (if you didn’t read the Dragon Gate writeup, you probably have no idea what the hell I am talking about), let’s just say, that the Lotus Chinese Kitchen is one of Wilton Manors’ better Neighborhood Chinese Joints.

Lotus Chinese Kitchen is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. This joint serves good Chinese food.

***** Dragon Gate
11232 Pines Boulevard
Pembroke Pines, Florida 33026
(954) 438-9982

Let me explain the difference between a DESTINATION CHINESE RESTAURANT and a NEIGHBORHOOD CHINESE RESTAURANT.

A destination Chinese joint is “one” that you actually gas-the-car-up to get to. For example: The food is so terrific at “insert joint’s name,” that Jeff actually drove all the way from Boca Raton to “insert location” to eat dinner there.

A neighborhood Chinese joint is “one” that you go to, because the food is “fair to good” and the joint is 5-10 minutes from your home.

Lesson learned…Dragon Gate is a neighborhood joint. It is better than most of the “mom & pop” joints that you find in South Florida’s strip shopping centers… but it is still just a Pembroke Pines’ neighborhood joint.

I think that most of “you guys” know, that it is very difficult to find top-notch Chinese Food in South Florida. There are tons of joints that serve fair to good stuff, but only a handful that have excellent-terrific food.

Just so we are clear, Dragon Gate’s food is GOOD. If I lived in the Pembroke Pines’ area, it would be one of my favorite neighborhood joints.

Dragon Gate is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

***** Hunan Gardens
4900 Linton Boulevard
Delray Beach, Florida 33445
(561) 498-1898

Let me start by saying…HUNAN GARDENS IS A GOOD NEIGHBORHOOD CHINESE RESTAURANT…The operative word in the last sentence is, NEIGHBORHOOD, capisce?

Over the years I must have eaten in this joint at least 20 times. I can’t remember a time, when Hunan Gardens failed to pass my circa 1957 Brooklyn Jewish American Chinese Taste Test of – wonton soup-egg rolls-spare ribs-pan fried dumplings-roast pork fried rice-sweet and sour chicken-pistachio ice cream!

Gourmet stuff? I don’t think soooo! This is a good NEIGHBORHOOD Chinese joint to know about. For those who live in the Delray Beach area, Hunan Gardens is located in the “middle” of a strip shopping center located at the southeast corner of the Linton Boulevard/Military Trail intersection.

Hunan Gardens is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. By the way, this joint is owned/run by super-nice people.

***** Don Ramon Restaurant
502 South Military Trail
West Palm Beach, Florida 33415
(561) 687-0161

If you are looking for a good CUBAN joint, I got a small chain named Don Ramon Restaurant for you. There are currently 3 Don Ramon locations in South Florida. You “got” one joint in West Palm Beach. Another joint located at 1429 Southeast Federal Highway, Stuart Florida 34994 (772) 221-7711 and a third joint at 11924 West Forest Hill Boulevard, Wellington Florida 33414 (561) 795-1932.

Don Ramon is a “casual dining” joint. Tee shirt/shorts will do just fine here. This joint serves very good Cuban stuff and has a menu loaded with all kinds of aperitivos, sopas, ensaladas, sandwiches and pollo-carnos-lechon-mariscos entrees (I took Spanish in High School & College). Big portions, good food, excellent wait-staff and very reasonable prices makes this joint a winner. Just a heads-up, be sure to try Don Ramon’s chicharrones de pollo as either an appetizer or entree, it is absolutely delicious. For those of you who are “languaged challenged,” chicharrones de pollo is fried chicken chunks deep fried and then covered in sauteed onions.

Don Ramon is open for lunch & dinner Monday-Saturday 11:30am-10pm and Sunday noon-9pm,

***** Palm Beach Fish Market & Bistro
3815 South Dixie Highway
West Palm Beach, Florida 33405
(561) 835-0300

If you check, back on February 22, 2007, I told you guys about a joint named Captain Jim Hanson’s Seafood Market and Restaurant located on West Dixie Highway in North Miami, which combines a seafood-fish restaurant and fish market under the same roof.

My uncle Sam Ting would tell you, that Palm Beach Fish Market & Bistro is a “northern” version of Jim Hanson’s, that being a seafood fish restaurant/ fish market combination. Both joints have terrific food. The “obvious” differences are, that Palm Beach’s decor looks like a small French bistro (whatever that is) while Jim Hanson’s looks like the Disney Pirates’ ride and Palm Beach uses cermaic plates and silverware, while Jim Hanson’s favors paper plates and plastic utensils.

You now have two terrific seafood-fish restaurant/markets, one in the SOUTH and one in the NORTH. Palm Beach Fish Market & Bistro is open Monday-Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for dinner only.

***** Ed & Ollie’s Diner
1313 West Boynton Beach Boulevard
Boynton Beach, Florida 33426
(561) 734-5513

First let me start by saying, that if you wear anything but a tee shirt/shorts to this joint, your nuts. Ed & Ollie’s is a small neighborhood diner which has counter seating plus a few tables inside and outside. Ed & Ollie’s has a black and white checkerboard floor and the obligatory wall photos of Elvis and Marilyn. Just so you know, this joint in a “prior life” was called Pinky’s Fabulous 50s Diner.

Ed & Ollie’s is a NEIGHBORHOOD joint. This is a great place to know about, if you live in the Boynton Beach/Delray Beach area. Like I said, this is a D I N E R, so the “game” here is breakfasts, burgers, sandwiches and salads.

Ed & Ollie’s is open 7 days a week from 7am-3pm for breakfast and lunch and Wenesday-Saturday from 4pm-9m for dinner. This is a very nice NEIGHBORHOOD joint!