*****  Shortys-Bar-B-Q, 9200 South Dixie Highway, Miami, Florida 33156 (305) 670-7732.

Shorty’s is a South Florida bbq-chain…Its original location on South Dixie Highway has been around since 1951…Shorty’s website is www.shortysbbq.com …check the site for locations/menu/pricing.

Shorty’s Bar-B-Q is a terrific-casual restaurant… the menu is loaded with delicious appetizers, sides and top-notch pork/beef/chicken bbq…big portions at really reasonable prices. In the South Dixie joint, “you” sit at long tables next to total strangers…at the other 6 locations,  Shorty’s gives “you” your own table or booth…that’s called progress.

Over the years, I must have eaten in the Dixie Highway location at least 10 times. Most recently, I have been eating in Shorty’s Deerfield Beach store which opened about 1 year ago. Same delicious food…same portions…same prices…booth and table seating…By the way, the Deerfield Beach joint (if I have read all of the locations’ menus correctly) is the only Shorty’s that has bbq beef ribs…I have to tell you, that those beef ribs are not just good, but are fantastic…why Shorty’s doesn’t have them in its other stores is beyond me.

Like I said before, Shorty’s is a casual joint…be prepared to get really messy in this joint, because the bbq sauce is all over the place…Shorty’s has plenty of paper towels…

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

*****  DiSalvo’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant, 4190 N. 46th Avenue, Hollywood, Florida (954) 962-1115.

DiSalvo’s is a family-operated/small chain of red sauce Southern Italian joints. There are currently 4 South Florida locations…2 in Hollywood, 1 in Coral Springs and 1 in Plantation. The joint at 4190 N. 46th Avenue in Hollywood is where I first “met” the the DiSalvo family something like 16 years ago.

Just a bit of history…when I first started going to the DiSalvo’s in Hollywood, the DiSalvo family was getting ready to open a steak joint named Kansas City Steak on University Boulevard in Davie, Florida. Over the next few years, I must have eaten in the Kansas City restaurant at least 10 times…the food was great…the service was great…the prices were fair…and it was  a very family friendly joint. The DiSalvo’s eventually sold Kansas City Steak…  Although I haven’t been to Kansas City Steak in a number of years, I understand that the joint is still doing a big business and is still terrific…One of these days I’ll get down to Kansas City Steak and checkout the food for you guys…Anway, the point of this not so short story…I learned 16 years ago, that the DiSalvos know how to run a restaurant…make great food…price it right…and treat their customers in a manner which makes them feel comfortable and right at home.

Over the past 16 years I must have eaten in their joints a combined total of maybe 15 times. I will tell you, that I have been in all the locations and the menu/service is identical at all 4 spots. Take a look at DiSalvo’s website at www.disalvosmenu.com for menu/pricing/locations.

As you all know, South Florida has its fair share of small Southern Italian chains…Actually, South Florida has way too many small chains, but that’s a story for another day.

DiSalvo’s does a very good job in the pasta, pizza, subs and meat-fish-veal-chicken entree departments. The food is priced right. The service is efficient. The garlic rolls are sensational.

If there is a DiSalvo’s in your neighborhood, give it a shot. It is as good as your favorite “mom and pop” joint, probably even better.

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

       Tramonti Ristorante, 119 East Atalantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida  (561) 272-1944.

Restaurants come and restaurants go, especially on Delray Beach’s Atlantic Avenue…as soon as one goes out of business, another seems to take its place.

Tramonti has been around for several years. I have walked/driven by this white table cloth Italian joint something like 50 times and its indoor/outdoor tables were always/and still are jammed…Obviously, Tramonti must be doing something very-very right.

I have eaten at Tramonti exactly twice, once when it first opened and most recently two weeks ago. The food (chicken scarpariello and steak pizziaola) at best was just “fair” and overpriced…the service unprofessional/borderline horrendous.

Many people rave about this joint. I am going to let you in on a little secret, Tramonti is “full of itself” and has bamboozled its fans into believing that it is a top-notch Italian Restaurant.

Do me a favor and go to Tramanti’s website www.tramantidelray.com where you can get menu/prices/and other details about this joint. Notice how its owners play up their relationship with the world famous Angelo’s of Mulberry Street which first opened for business in New York City in 1902….There is absolutely nothing special about Tramonti’s food, service or prices. What Tramonti is…is a place where people go to “see and be seen”…capice! I suspect that the Angelo’s “connection” is what triggered the star-status currently enjoyed by Tramanti.

I believe that someone once said, “I knew Jack Kennedy…and you are no Jack Kennedy.” Well…I have eaten at Angelo’s of Mulberry Street and Tramonti Ristorante is no Angelo’s of Mulberry Street.

Anyway…I could be 100% wrong about Tramonti, so if you want to decide for yourself the joint is open for lunch/dinner Monday-Saturday and dinner only on Sunday.

*****  Ritter’s Frozen Custard, 6700 West Atlantic Boulevard, Margate, Florida 33063 (954) 975-7300.

Ritter’s Frozen Custard is a national-chain. It has been around since 1989 and is headquartered in Indianapolis. As of today’s date, it has 4 Florida locations…Clermont, Palm Harbor, Port Orange and Margate.

Take a look at Ritter’s website www.ritters.com for menu and other information.

Over the past year or so, I have been to the Margate location something like 4 times. To be perfectly honest with you, I “found” Ritter’s purely by accident while searching for a new Five Guy’s Burgers & Fries location. Just so you know, the Five Guys in Margate and Ritter’s are a 2-minute drive from each other.

Anway…if you looked at Ritter’s website you know that, Ritter’s is designed to look like a 1950’s freestanding ice cream joint…you can order/pickup at either an inside/or outside counter… Ritter’s also has inside and outside seating.

I have to tell you that Ritter’s makes some of the most delicious frozen custard that you have ever-ever tasted. This joint’s menu is loaded with all kinds of ice cream shakes-cakes-pies-sundaes, etc.

The next time that you are in Clermont, Palm Harbor, Port Orange or Margate, make it your business to try this joint out.

The Margate location is open 7 days a week…Sunday-Thursday 11am-10:30pm and Friday-Saturday 11am-11:30pm.

Boca Raton

*****  Red’s Backwood’s BBQ, 1345 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33486 (561) 417-0795…&…10130 Northlake Boulevard, West Palm Beach 33412 (561) 681-4885.

Take a look at Red’s website at www.redsbackwoodsbbq.com. This joint’s menu has got everything that your heart could desire (don’t tell your cardiologist). Throw in the fact that the stuff is real tasty and reasonably priced… and that Red’s is a small-casual-easy going joint. You now know about a real good bbq joint.

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

*****  Red Lantern Chinese Restaurant, 8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434 (561) 482-8817.

Red Lantern is not “reinventing the wheel.” This is a neighborhood Chinese joint, which has decent food and is owned by some super-nice people who go out of their way for their customers.

You know the drill…soup/choice of appetizer/rice/main dish/dessert—$7.99 plus/or minus.

If you live in the Boca Raton area, this is is a good place to know about.

Red Lantern is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

***** Conca D’Oro Restaurant & Pizza, 1833 Tyler Street, Hollywood, Florida (954) 927-6704.

Conca D’Oro is a red-sauce Southern Italian joint that has been in business for something like 30+ years. Before I go any further, please indulge me for a minute and read my writeup about Mama Mia Italian Ristorante. Thanks…Now let me tell you the story…

Mama Mia is literally a stone’s throw away from Conca D’Oro and vice versa…For years, Hollywood “locals” and others have argued as to which of these joints is better. For sure, both have very loyal followings.

Over the years, I have eaten at Conca D’Oro at least 5 times. Its menu is very similar to Mama Mia’s as are its prices. Every time that I have been there, the joint has been packed. I have friends who swear by Mama Mia and others that swear by Conca D’Oro.

As for me…I think that Mama Mia runs circles around Conca D’Oro. Now don’t get me wrong, Conco D’Oro’s food is good, it’s just not as good as Mama Mia’s.

Just thought you would like to know about a local-rivalry…sort of like the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Conca D’Oro is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

*****  Chez Porky’s BBQ Restaurant, 105 SW 6th Street, Pompano Beach, Florida 33060 (954) 946-5590.

If you are going to give Chez Porky’s a try, do yourself a favor and call ahead for directions…do a MapQuest search…have a GPS unit in your car…this joint is located in a non-descript neighborhood strip center and is an absolute “hole in the wall.”

Chez Porky’s is a real easy going joint that “specializes” in chicken wings and bbq ribs…its menu which has a Cajun-bias is also loaded with other stuff like chicken gumbo soup, marinated strip steak and various chicken dishes…trust me, you’ll find something to eat at Chez Porky’s.

This joint has been around for something like 25 years and has a  very big following. Although it is literally located in the middle of nowhere, it is always busy with eat in and take-out. Chez Porky’s clientele is an eclectic group…truckers, blue collar workers, doctors and nurses from a near by hospital…everyone who lives or works in the area, seems to know about Chez Porky’s great food and very reasonable prices.

Chez Porky’s is open Monday-Friday for lunch and dinner…and Saturday-Sunday dinner only.

*****  Anthony’s Runway 84, 330 West State Road 84, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33315 (954) 467-8484.

The owner of Anthony’s Runway 84, is the same guy who in recent years has been “rolling out” Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza  joints literally all over South Florida.

Anthony’s Runway 84 is a white-cloth-upscale Italian Restaurant…This joint’s decor is Tony Soprano-Christopher Moltisanti-Paulie Gualtieri circa 1970. Anthony’s has an enormous-legendary following, so don’t even think about going to this joint without a reservation…(more on reservations later).

Just so you know…over the years I have eaten at Anthony’s Runway 84 at least 15 times…to be perfectly honest with you, I don’t know if I like or don’t like  this joint…I know that sounds nuts, but that’s the truth.

Anthony’s is notorious for not honoring reservations…over the years it has gotten a reputation for being a joint that hand-picks who gets seated and when they get seated…in the past, sometimes I was timely seated and sometimes I sat in the bar (for the longest period) trying to figure what the hell was going on…

Anthony’s is notorious for having an erratic kitchen…sometimes the food is absolutely incredible and sometimes it produces absolute garbage…in the past, I have had  great dishes, good dishes and garbage.

The one thing that has always been consistent at Anthony’s is the wait-service. Absolutely top-notch. By the way, Anthony’s prices are nothing  too terrible…you get a ton of food for the money.

The perfect Anthony’s Runway 84 experience is an “honored” reservation with great food…I have had such evenings… then again, I have had “honored” reservations with garbage…I have also had reservations “not honored” with great food…and reservations “not honored” with garbage.

Let me put it to you this way…eating at this joint is an absolute crap-shoot. Based on my having eaten in this joint something like 15 times, I must be a gambler and glutton for punishment all rolled up in one.

My suggestion is that you give Anthony’s Runway 84 at least one try…if the stars line-up for you, you will have an an absolutely fabulous dinner. When (if) it comes together, the combination of decor/ambiance/attitude/food/service is fantastic.

Anthony’s is open Tuesday-Sunday for dinner.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

*****  Mama Mia Italian Ristorante, 1818 South Young Circle, Hollywood, Florida 33020 (954) 923-0555.

Mama Mia is one of my favorite South Florida red sauce Southern Italian joints. Take a look at its website at www.miamigrill.com for menu/pricing and other information.

I am not 100% sure how long Mama Mia has been in business, but my guess is something like 25+ years. This is an extremely popular joint, which is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner from 11am-1am. This joint has indoor and outdoor seating for dining. Over the years, I’ll bet that I have eaten at this joint at least 15 times and every single time it was absolutely packed. Mama Mia is a rather large restaurant, so its always being busy should be telling you something.

Mama Mia does all of the “standard” dishes including pizza extremely well. In addition, its prices are neighborhood joint prices. Just so you know, Mama Mia is a real casual place, so feel free to wear your tee shirt/shorts.

I have been eating at this joint for well over 14 years. Mama Mia a few years ago underwent a decor facelift…rather than going into detail, let’s just say that I liked the look of the old Mama Mia better than the new look…but what is is…The makeover robbed the joint of some of its neighborhood charm…The good news, is that the cosmetic makeover didn’t “change” the food or service which to this day are very-very good.

Mama Mia is a joint that you definitely want to try.