Campagnolo Italian Restaurant, 3013 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33434, (561) 989-1990.

Campagnolo has been open for about 3 months. This Southern Italian joint serves both individual/family style…for example, a half order of spaghetti & meatballs runs $11.95 and a full order costs $19.95…a half order of chicken scarpariello runs $18.95 and a full order is $31.95…a half order of chicken piccata runs $13.95 and a full order is $24.95…

I ate dinner twice at this joint and took-out a pizza another time. Just so you know, in addition to that pizza, I “sampled” a fried zucchini appetizer, a baked clams appetizer, a chicken scarpariello entree, a chicken parmigiana entree, a veal pizzaiola entree, a calamari marinara entree and an order of rigatoni a la vodka.

Over-all I would rate the food as  borderline FAIR… Let me give you the actual scorecard… The zucchini was good…The baked clams were fair…The chicken scarpariello was fair…The chicken parmigiana tasted like the chicken parmigiana that Saga Food served me at Ithaca College, circa 1970, horrendous…The veal pizzaiola was fair…The calamari marinara was fair…The rigatoni a la vodka was good…The pizza was lousy.

The service was good. You do get plenty of food for the money whether you order half/full portions…then again, if the stuff is no good, you don’t need a ton of it.

Let’s put it this way…Your favorite neighborhood joint is better than this latest South Florida Italian restaurant entry.

Campagnolo is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner

***AT THE REQUEST OF CAMPAGNOLA’S OWNER (July 15, 2011)…PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED.

*****  TW Steak & Seafood, 7104 Beracasa Way, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 391-6525.

TW opened for business about three months ago. I have eaten dinner there twice, the last outing being last night.

TW is my kind of place…just imagine an upscale Chinese retaurant, that also does non-Chinese  steak-seafood-chicken-pasta. Trust me on this, the food is absolutely terrific. During my two dinners, I “sampled” such entrees as New York Strip, BBQ Baby Back Ribs, Crab Cakes, Orange Chicken and Grilled Shrimps…I also managed to down such appetizers as Pot Stickers and Spicy Crispy Chicken Wings.

Just so you know the game here…TW, is owned and operated by the same family that owns Delray Beach’s Tony Wu’s, which is a very successful Chinese-American combination restaurant. Tony Wu’s is so well known in South Florida, that many of its sauces are carried by local supermarkets.

TW’s doesn’t promote itself as a Chinese joint… as a matter of fact, the decor is devoid of “standard” Chinese signage/furniture. TW’s has a full bar and  a very upscale look. That said, you can wear tee shirts/shorts here and feel right at home.

TW’s menu is loaded with appetizers, soups, salads, steaks, seafood, chicken, beef and pasta dishes. Entrees come with an absolutely terrific house salad/or soup of the day and two side dishes and range in price from $15-27. There is also a discounted lunch menu.

Like I said before, this joint’s food is terrifc. TW is open 7 days a week for dinner and Monday-Friday for lunch.

*****  Talia’s Tuscan Table, 4070 North Dixie Highway, Boca Raton, Florida (561) 362-0874.

If you live in the Boca Raton area, I have a great take-out joint for you…Talia’s Tuscan Table.

Talia’s is a “hole in the wall” Guaranteed, that if you aren’t looking for this joint, you won’t find it…just so you know, it is actually located on the N.E. Corner of Dixie & Spanish River Boulevard.

Talia’s is open Monday-Saturday for lunch/dinner from 11:30 am-8:00 pm. This joint has all kinds of appetizers, salads, soups, wraps, risotto, hero-sandwiches, pastas, pizzas, meat-seafood entrees and desserts. Just so you know, the emphasis is on Italian stuff, but there are plenty of other items to feed your face with.

Last night I picked-up a Caruso Hero, which is a combination of sausage and meatball parmigiana…a Michelangelo Hero, which is a combination of herb chicken cutlet, eggplant and mozzarella & roasted peppers…and a Galileo Hero, which is a combination of roast beef, cheddar cheese, onion, organic greens and Russian dressing…All of the heros are on ciabatta bread…cost $9…feed 2 people…are absolutely fantastic…AND NO, I DIDN’T EAT ALL 3 SANDWICHES BY MYSELF.

I have been getting stuff from this joint for about 5 years and I have to tell you that the  pastas and pizzas are great…as a matter of fact, everything Talia’s makes is terrific.

Talia’s is a fabulous take-out. The joint has something like 50 lunch and dinners for under $11 and a large pizza is going A to run you $12.

Don’t miss this one.

*****  Renzo’s Restaurant, 5999 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33487, (561)994-3495.

This year’s Mother’s Day Dinner (yesterday) was spent at Renzo’s Restaurant in Boca Raton. There were 18 of us and the final bill was $1,300. Everything and I do mean everything was served…steak, veal chop parmigiana, lobster tails, minestrone soup, pastas…Everyone ordered straight from the menu and there were some hefty doggie-bags. Do the math, eating like pigs the whole meal ran something like $72 a head and I am telling you that was soup-to-nuts.

Over the years, I have eaten at Renzo’s at least 20 times. The food has always been terrifc and the staff is as efficient and accomodating as can be. Renzo’s is an upscale joint, but you can wear tee shirts/shorts and no one is going to say boo. Just so you know,  that if you order like “normal people” you will spend far less than $72 for a complete meal. You can get away for $35-40.

In a previous writeup, I told you about Renzo’s Cafe & Pizzeria which is located at 6900 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida. Renzo’s Cafe does the pizzas and more casual stuff. By the way, Renzo’s also has a take-out “only” joint at 1906 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, Florida. With these 3 joints, Renzo’s has all of the bases covered.

Renzo’s 3 joints are all terrific…

Renzo’s Restaurant is open 7 days a week for dinner.

*****  Thick & Thin Restaurant & Pizzeria, 23062 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 482-7020.

Thick & Thin has been around since 1979.

There is an old saying, “Out of sight, out of mind.” When I first moved down to South Florida 16 years ago, Thick & Thin was one of the regular “mom & pop” red-sauce joints that got my business at least once or twice a month. Over the years, for one reason or another, Thick & Thin became an “out of sight, out of mind joint.” Now don’t hold me to this, but until last night, I think the last time I was in Thick & Thin was something like 7-8 years ago. Why I forgot about this joint?…I don’t know.

Anyway…last night I ate dinner in this hole-in-the-wall and I have to tell you, that the food is as good as when I was a regular customer. Great pizza…veal parmigiana…veal francese…veal marsala…You know the drill, soup or salad, entree, side of pasta and garlic rolls…

Thick & Thin is located in a shopping center on 441 in Boca Raton. The CVS is out of business…The Winn Dixie is out of business…Many other vacancies, yet this little joint which seats about 50 was jammed and the take-out business was booming.

This is a real casual joint, so tee shirts/shorts are the dress of the day. Like I said before, Thick & Thin has been around for something like 29 years, so obviously even without my patronage it has been doing just fine.

This joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner and by the way, in the center there is a great car wash Express Car Wash that for 8 bucks gives you one of the best exterior washes going.

Great NY Style Pizza and a Great Car Wash…courtesy of Jeffeats.com

*****  Strip House, 1701 Lake Victoria Gardens, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410, (561) 296-4900.

Before jeffeats.com “crashed,” it had a writeup about the Strip House. In that review, I told you folks that the Strip House was one of the best “upscale” steakhouses in all of South Florida if not the best one. Anway…last week the Sun Sentinel had a 4-star review on the Strip House which confirmed everything that I already knew, namely that the food and service are absolutely top-shelf.

Last night, I had dinner at the Strip House and I am happy to report that this joint is still at the top of its game. Great food and great service. Just so we are clear, you pay for everything at the Strip House…salad, entree, sides…nothing comes with nothing…and a steak dinner with salad, sides, dessert, non alcohol drink and taxes/tips is going to run you close to $85-100 a head.

This joint is open 7 days a week for dinner. One other thought, unlike most of the upscale steak joints, the Strip House doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is done-up in a red wallpaper decor which features very tastefully done black/white photos of female strippers of the 1930s-1940s…and the wait-staff is as friendly and helpful as can be…none of this haughty attitude that many of the other joints generate.

***** The Pastrami Club
5240 North University Drive
Lauderhill, Florida 33351
(954) 748-0001

The Pastrami Club is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. The Pastrami Club (which has been around since 1985), is one of the “best” New York “Kosher Style Delis” in South Florida. Over the years I have “fressed” on this joint’s pastrami, corned beef, turkey (off the frame) and brisket sandwiches and loved each and every bite.

Cardiologists tell you to stay away from joints like this… last week I saw mine stuffing his face with a fatty corned beef on rye with a potato knish. “Do as I say, don’t do as I do.”

I am telling you, that you “gotta” try this joint. The combination of great food and “old” deli decor (red booths and formica tables), will remind you of what delis are “suppose to be all about.”

Check-out this joint’s website at www.pastramiclub.com for menu/prices.

End of story.

*****  Okeechobee Steak House, 2854 Okeechobee Boulevard, West Palm Beach, Florida 33409, (561) 683-5151.

The Okeechobee Steak House has been in business since 1947. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

The Okeechobee Steak House is not a fancy schmancy upscale steakhouse. That said, the food is terrific and the menu is priced right. For around 35-40 bucks a head, you get salad, entree and side dishes. A similar meal at a fancy schmancy joint- which is maybe a 1/2 a notch higher in quality and service would run you $55-60.

The Okeechobee Steak House serves top quality steaks and seafood. Like I said a few seconds ago, it isn’t a fancy schmancy joint with tee shirts/shorts being pretty common there. What makes this a “beautiful” place is that it doesn’t take itself seriously like “upscale” joints do. The game here is good food and good service in a real-easy atmosphere.

Look…you don’t stay in business for 61 years without doing something right. Try this joint, you will really enjoy the food.

*****  Ralph & Rosie’s Restaurant/Lounge, 2017 South Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, Florida (561) 731-4400.

There are joints and then there are JOINTS…

This combination restaurant-lounge-drive thru-liquor store-takeout is an absolutely fantastic place to enjoy a casual lunch or dinner. I guarantee that no matter what your taste, you will find something that you will enjoy on Ralph & Rosie’s menu. Just so we are straight, this joint which has rock-bottom prices and humongous portions doesn’t serve crap. Its pizzas, burgers, salads, subs, seafood-meat-veal entrees are top-notch. Do yourself a big favor and check www.ralphandrosie.com to review all of the fantastic dishes “Ralph” (who looks just like Joe Pesci) cooks-up in his kitchen. I must tell you, that the thin crusted pizza and chicken parmigiana sub are as good if not better than that served in the 5-boroughs.

From the road (South Federal Highway), Ralph & Rosie’s looks like a dump-building which has a tiki-bar rapped around the outside. Unless you are a real “explorer,” the odds say that you have never stopped (and never will) at a joint that looks like this.

Ralph & Rosie’s consists of a a small building which houses a bar and a very small bandstand. There are no dining tables inside, but there is a nice sized out-door thatched roofed  tiki-bar which seats about 75 for dinner or lunch.

Rather than knocking myself out trying to describe this joint, take a look at the menu and pictures at the joint’s website and you will get an idea of what Ralph & Rosie’s is all about.

The food is great. The service is great. The owners are great.

On certain nights, there is free entertainment. Don’t miss Joey Dale & The Gigolos who perform on Friday & Saturday nights…this group gives Dion & The Belmonts and Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge a real run for the money.

Rather than my going on and on and on…just give Ralph & Rosie’s a try. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Tee shirts/shorts are at home here.

This is a fabulous place to know about.

***** Lucille’s Bad To The Bone BBQ, 3011 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, Florida, (561) 997-9557 & 710 Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach, Florida, (561) 330-6706.

Friends of mine, swear by this joint which has 2 locations. They rave about the ribs, chicken, pulled pork etc. Over the years I have eaten in the Boca Raton location at least 20 times. Personally, I think that the food is just okay, nothing more and nothing less…nothing to write home about. Just so you know, the Boca joint is located about a minute drive from my home, so convenience more than anything else has played a role in my eating there.

Have you ever wondered why there are no NATIONAL BBQ CHAINS? The reason: Every region in the country seems to have its own favorite  bbq style/taste. Personally, I don’t care for smoked-products and like Chinese styled bbq ribs.

Like I said before, Lucille’s isn’t one of my favorites…that said, maybe Lucille’s makes bbq ribs/chicken that will please your tastebuds. The joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Give it a try and let me know what you think.