***** Cypress Nook Restaurant
201 East McNab Road
Pompano Beach, Florida 33060
(954) 781-3464

This joint’s name says it all. NOOK: “A hidden or secluded spot.” NOOK: “A small corner, alcove or recess.” Personally, I call joints like Cypress Nook Restaurant “holes in the wall,” but it’s too early in the day, for us to be discussing “semantics.”

Cypress Nook is a great breakfast-joint. If you are in the mood for some eggs, pancakes etc., this is a terrific place to know about. Please keep in mind, that since this joint is a “hole in the wall” (or “nook”), it has extremely limited seating and is usually packed.

Cypress Nook is open Monday-Friday 7am-2pm and Saturday-Sunday 7am-1pm. Like I said before, breakfast is this joint’s specialty, but you can get burgers and other stuff.

***** Philly Connection
1241 North State Road 7
Royal Palm Beach, Florida 33411
(561) 422-6090

Let’s play a game. I’ll give you two guesses what type of joint Philly Connection is and the second guess doesn’t count.

Of course you “silly goose,” Philly Connection is a fast-food joint which “features” PHILLY CHEESE STEAK HOGIES (or grinders, or subs, etc., depending on where you were raised). Now, I am not saying that this joint’s “stuff” is as good as Philadelphia’s landmark joints, Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks, but the Philly Cheese Steak “Whatever You Want To Call Them” are very-very good.

In addition to the aforementioned Philly Cheese Steak, this joint has other types of hoagies, soups and salads.

Philly Connection is open 7 days a week, Monday-Saturday 11am-10pm and Sunday noon-9pm. This is the kind of a joint, that you “spot” from the road, never stop at, but everytime you drive by it, wonder if the food is any good. Trust me, this is a great place to stop for a hoagie.

Maxwell’s Chophouse
501 East Palmetto Park Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
(561) 347-7077

Maxwell’s Chophouse is an “upscale” steak-house. Just to make sure that we are all on the same page, UPSCALE STEAK-HOUSES are joints where you pay top dollar for EVERYTHING and NOTHING comes with the entree. Joints like Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s, New York Prime, Hollywood Prime, Council Oaks and Abie & Louie’s are “other” examples of this type of restaurant.

Now, I have absolutely nothing “against” these kind of joints, as long as the food and service are good. For argument’s sake, I assume that if you have ever eaten in an an “upscale” steak-house, no one “put” a gun to your head and made you pick that particular joint.

Over the years I have eaten in Maxwell’s at least 5 times. If I recall my formal studies, I believe that there is a theory called, “The Law of Diminishing Returns.” Rather than playing professor with you, let me put it to you this way, “Maxwell’s 11-12 years ago was a terrific restaurant with superb food and service. Maxwell’s circa 2006-2007 is but a “shell” of what it once was and is now an overpriced joint serving “fair” food by a “fair at best” wait-staff.

If you want to eat overpriced-fair food, served by a fair-at-best waitstaff, Maxwell’s is open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner and Saturday-Sunday for dinner only.

***** Cove Bagel & Deli
1634 Southeast 3rd Court
Deerfield Becah, Florida 33441
(954) 481-8600

Just west of the Intracoastal Bridge on Hillsboro Boulevard in Deerfield Beach is an extremely large strip-shopping-center. If you do some checking, this “center” is actually three different centers which are adjacent to each other. This “center” has been around for “as long as I can remember” and to its credit, has mostly “mom and pop” type operations, like an ice-cream store, hardware, men’s barbershop, dressmaker, tailor etc. Although this “center” is located in South Florida, it resembles in “tenant make-up” the shopping districts of Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx circa the 1940s-1970s.

One of this center’s tenants is the Cove Bagel & Deli. To call this joint a “hole in the wall” would be kind. It has a few tables inside and a few outside and that’s it. If I had to hazzard a guess, maybe the whole shotting match is 250-300 sq feet. This joint is run by a husband and wife team, so it further qualifies as a “mom & pop” operation. Don’t worry, their kids also work there, so we “know” that they are a mom and pop.

Cove Bagel & Deli for some reason has chosen old Coca Cola “stuff” as its decor. To be nice, let’s call the decorating “cute.”

This joint which is open for breakfast and lunch 7 days a weeks, is a terrific place to have a cup of coffee, eggs, deli sandwich, salad, etc. There is absolutely nothing fancy about this joint, but it has a “neighborhood charm” which for me, just hits the right spot.

The next time you need a hardware store, barbershop, dressmaker, tailor, ice cream shop, catering hall, bar, beauty parlor, pharmacy etc., all you have to do is step out of the Cove Bagel & Deli and follow your nose in any direction.

***** Art’s BBQ
2070 North University Drive
Coral Springs, Florida 33071
(954) 346-9246

In recent weeks, I “gave” you guys three different SOUTHERN SOUL FOOD-BBQ joints to try. They were, Tom’s, Betty’s and Georgia Pig. Based on the number of “inquiries” that I received about this “type” of joint, I decided that it is my “duty” to keep building a list of Southern Soul Food-BBQ joints on this site. Before writing about Tom’s, Betty’s and Georgia Pig, I never realized that so many people literally “love” this type of food.

You may now add Art’s BBQ to the list. Just like Betty’s and Georgia Pig, this is an absolute hole-in-the-wall. This joint is open Monday-Saturday 11am-9pm.

Just so we are “straight” with each other, this Southern Soul Food -BBQ “stuff” is not exactly my favorite way to prepare, ribs-roast chicken-fried chicken-brisket etc. Personally, I would rather eat the ribs-roast chicken that Bucky’s or Park Avenue prepares. In addition, in my opinon, the fried chicken that Fran’s makes, runs circles around this Southern Soul Food-BBQ. As for brisket, Pomperdale and Ben’s are more my preference.

I fully appreciate that everyone has their own “likes and dislikes.” From your comments, it appears that South Florida is absolutely loaded with “fans” of Southern Soul Food-BBQ. Accordingly, I’ll keep “trying” and “finding” the best of breed.

Angelo’s Kitchen
21073 Powerline Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33433
(561) 483-4470

Angelo’s Kitchen is an Italian Restaurant.

Angelo’s Kitchen is open for dinner Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-10pm. If you want to “see” the perfect example of a joint that thinks that it has great food and service, but doesn’t, Angelo’s is for you. Over the past year, I ate at Angelo’s twice. The food is just okay and the service is very amateurish. This is not a “fancy” joint, but the two times that I was there, I GOT THE IMPRESSION that the owners and wait-staff “think” that they “have ” something very special going on.

Just so you know, Angelo’s is no better than the “little chain” joints that dot the South Florida landscape.

I absolutely “hate” joints like this, loaded with “attitude,” but with absolutely nothing to back it up.

***** Georgia Pig Barbeque & Restaurant
1285 Southwest 40th Road (SR 7)
Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33317
(954) 587-4420

Last year, I “gave” you Betty’s Soul Food Restaurant (12/25/06) and Tom’s Place (12/26/06) as SOUTHERN SOUL FOOD-BBQ JOINTS that you might like to visit. Here’s another joint in the same category, Georgia Pig.

Georgia Pig has been around since 1953. I seriously doubt, that the exterior-interior decor of this joint has changed one iota since it first opened. This joint seats 40 and is as informal as it gets. To be perfectly honest with you, if you re-read Betty’s write-up, you will know exactly what Georgia Pig is all about. the two joints are very-very similar.

Georgia Pig like Betty’s, is open Monday-Saturday for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

If you “feel” like doing some more “re-reading,” after Betty’s writeup, read the one that I did on Tom’s Place. In Tom’s writeup, I said that both joints were worth trying, but that a comparison of the two, would have Betty’s as “Yale” and Tom’s as “Staten Island Community College.” Just so you know, Georgia Pig would be the University of Wisconsin. Now that I have you “totally” nuts and worrying about the SATs…

Just a heads-up, Betty’s and Georgia Pig are “real” SOUTHERN SOUL FOOD- BBQ JOINTS. Tom’s to put it “politely,” is more of a “commercial” SOUTHERN FOOD-BBQ JOINT. You decide where you want to be educated.

La Villetta
4351 North Federal Highway
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
(561) 362-8403

If you want to see what an “overpriced-make believe” fancy Southern Italian Restaurant looks and tastes like, then La Villetta is the joint for you.

During the past 15 years, I have “dined” in this joint twice. The first time, was in 1991 and the second time was a few months ago. The one thing that I have to compliment La Villetta on being is “consistent.” Both times, the staff was “overly impressed with itself,” “the prices were too high,” and the food was “fair at best.”

There is an old saying, ” Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.” Trust me, there won’t be a third time for La Villetta.

In all fairness to La Villetta, it has been in business for at least 15 years (that I know of), so “somebody” has to be eating there. In addition, on the two occasions that I was there, the joint was packed, which leads me to conclude, that either I am “dead wrong” about this joint, or there are a whole lot of people who are easy to “fool.” Personally, I think it’s the latter. No, come to think of it, I know it’s the latter.

La Villetta is open 7 days a week for dinner 5:30pm-10:30pm.

***** Charley’s Frozen Custard and Tropical Treats
2919 Military Trail
West Palm Beach, Florida 33409
(561) 683-0075

Charley’s Frozen Custard is a joint that you have to try. It is an ice-cream store which has a “Coney-Island” motif. The operation is simple. You order, pick-up your order and then sit down and “enjoy” some of the most delicious “custard” that you have ever eaten.

Charley’s Frozen Custard makes its custard FRESH EVERY DAY. Unlike most ice cream stores, “stuff” doesn’t sit around in large “tubs” waiting for a customer. Charley’s makes 4 flavors every day. There are the standard vanilla and chocolate. Then there is a sugar free flavor. Then there is the “special flavor” of the day.

Charley’s is open 7 days a week, Monday-Saturday noon-10pm and Sunday 3pm-10pm.

***** Lindburgers
9834 Glades Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33434
(561) 218-5557

Let me start by telling you, that Lindburgers (at last count) had 9 locations in South Florida. and 1 in Penfield, New York. I can’t give you an exact “break-down,” but this “chain” has both company owned and franchised stores. The “original” Lindburgers is located in Delray Beach and has been around since 1983.

If you like hamburgers, Lindburgers is a terrific place for lunch or dinner. This joint’s “hook” is that its menu features 50 “different” hamburgers. I suspect that “if you name it” Lindburgers can prepare the “exact” burger that you want. This joint’s menu is also loaded with a huge assortment of appeitizers (my favorite is the fried zucchini), salads, sandwiches and other “casual dining-fare.”

Personally, if it wasn’t for the burgers, I wouldn’t exactly be running to Lindburgers. When a place calls itself LIND BURGERS, you should be “smart enough” to know that B U R G E R S are what you should be ordering from the menu.

Over the years, I have eaten at Lindburgers at least 15 times (4 different locations). The burgers are very good. The fries are very good. The onion rings are very good. The prices are very reasonable.

Lindburgers decor is “early airplane hangar.” Very cute. From what I can tell, all of the locations use the same “motif” and have identical menus.

If you are in the mood for a good hamburger and fries, Lindburgers should absolutely positively be on your radar screen. If you wear anything “more” than a tee-shirt/shorts, you are going to look silly sitting in this “airplane hangar” eating that thick juicy burger.

This joint is open 7 days a week. The one in West Boca Raton is open Sunday-Thursday 11am-9pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-10pm. Check Lindburgers website at www.lindburgers.com for a joint near you.