*****  Frank’s Ristorante & Pizza, 3428 East Atlantic Boulevard, Pompano Beach, Florida 33062, (954) 785-4140.

Over the years, I must have eaten at Frank’s at least 20 times. It is basically a pizza joint which seats maybe 35-40 people. It is one of the better “mom & pop” red-sauce joints which dot the South Florida landscape. This is strictly a shorts/tee shirt venue.

My latest visit to Frank’s, was this past Friday Night as part of my annual attendance at the  Pompano Beach Seafood Festival where The Buckinghams were performing. By the way, this annual Festival is a 3-day affair and is a great event for those of you who like rock n roll music on the beach, craft booths and great food vendors.

Anway, let me get back to Frank’s…terrific pizza, veal parmigiana, chicken cacciatore and garlic rolls.

If you live in the area, Frank’s which has been around something like 9,000,000 years is a great place for a really casual lunch or dinner. Frank’s is open 7-days a week.

     Farraddays’ Steakhouse, 1800 Southwest Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33069, (954) 972-2000.

Farraddays’ is an “upsacale steakhouse” located in the Isle of Capri Casino. I ate there last night and the $40+ steaks, $10+ salads, $9 side dishes etc.  weren’t worth the money. The food/service wasn’t bad, but were far from great. When a joint advertises/prices itself as being top-notch,  you should get terrific stuff all around. 

This joint is open for dinner Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

On a  final note, the Isle which has slots, poker and trotter-racing is a very well run operation.  In addition to Farraddays’, the Isle also has an Italian restaurant, Bragozzo…a deli named Myron’s and a buffet called Island Buffet. A cursoy look at these joints’ menus, indicated “specials” and more reasonable price points.

Just so we are clear, Farraddays’ isn’t a bad joint. It is just a very overpriced restaurant for what you get… if its menu was cut by 30% price-wise, I would be a frequent diner.

*****  Umberto’s Pizza & Clam Bar, 2780 East Atlantic Boulevard, Pompano Beach, Florida 33062, (954) 784-7110.

For you native New Yorkers out there, I got a good joint for you, that will remind you of home…Umberto’s Pizza & Clam Bar.

Great pizza…and I do mean great pizza, that will take you back to those Brooklyn-Queens-Staten Island-Manhattan-Bronx $.15 slices.

The joint has other stuff, like calzones and subs…but the game here is PIZZA. Absolutely delicious… point  the slice down and the oil drips onto the plate or the paper.

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

*****  Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlour, 128 South Federal Highway, Dania Beach , Florida 33004, (954) 023-4445.

Jaxson’s has been around something like 50 years. This is one of the greatest joints in all of South Florida, not to mention the United States, to get great home-made ice cream. The Food Channel has done several stories on Jaxson’s.

Decorated in Early American License Plate, Jaxson’s is located in a non-descript strip-shopping center in Dania Beach. The joint is packed day and night with people stuffing their faces with some of the most delicious ice cream that you have ever tasted. The portions are enormous and “individual” servings can feed 1-2-3 people. Jaxson’s also does, burgers, hot dogs, salads etc., but the game here is ICE CREAM. Personally, my favorite is a waffle with a scoop of strawberry and a scoop of mocha chip. That single dish, is big enough to serve 2-3 people. Be smart and don’t over order here, because  (1) you will be wasting a ton of great ice cream and (2) you will be wasting a ton of money.

I am telling you that you absolutely positively want to try this joint. The ice cream and food are great…the atmosphere is terrific…the service is terrific…and the “penny candy” assortment at the front of the joint will have you reminiscing about 1950’s Brooklyn-Bronx-Queens (etc,). 

There are always lines waiting to get in and for take-out. Jaxson’s is open  7-days a week…Monday-Thursday 11:30am-11pm…Friday-Saturday 11:30am- midnight…Sunday noon-11pm.

*****  Tom Sawyer Restaurant & Pastry Shop, 1759 NW 2nd Avenue, Boca Raton, Florida 33432, (561) 368-4634.

Over the years, I must have eaten breakfast/lunch in this joint at least 30 times. Imagine an IHOP on steroids decked-out in an Abe Lincoln Log Cabin motif and you pretty much got this joint. Great eggs, pancakes and waffles. No more expensive than an IHOP, Perkins or neighborhood bagel joint. Tom Sawyer also has a great selection of pastries, like chococlate cigars and huge black & white cookies.

This joint is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch. Just so you know, most folks eat BREAKFAST FOOD here but Tom Sawyer’s burgers, sandwiches and salads are very good diner-quality food. On the weekends, don’t be shocked to see a line out the door waiting for tables.

       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!!