***** Olive Garden Restaurant, 22161 Powerline Road, Boca Raton, Florida 33433, (561) 750-0786.

I am going to assume that everyone “here” knows what an Olive Garden Restaurant is. For those who don’t, Olive Garden Restaurant is an enormous ITALIAN RESTAURANT CHAIN which has “tons” of locations in South Florida, not to mention the United States.

Olive Garden has something for everyone. It has soups, salads, appetizers, pastas, pizzas, fish/meat entrees etc. This joint is a “budget shop,” where you get lots-of-food at very reasonable prices. This joint is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

I recently had dinner at the Olive Garden Restaurant located on Powerline Road in Boca Raton, Florida and I “must” tell you, that the food was “pretty damn good.” Gourmet stuff? Now let’s not get “stupid” here. That said, the lasagna, meatballs, fettucine Alfredo, chicken parmigiana and shrimp primavera that I “sampled,” were not bad…not bad at all.

I usually don’t recommend chain-joints, but I am going to make an exception for Olive Garden. The next time you feel like having a nice, casual Italian lunch/dinner, without “going for your lungs, keep Olive Garden in mind.

***** Cucina Rosano
16950 Jog Road
Delray Beach, Florida
(561) 499-9419

South Florida has more Italian Restaurants than there are Chins in a Chinese phonebook. Seemingly, every strip-center down here, has some “type” of Italian joint as a tenant. In previous writeups, I have told you about “mom & pop” joints, “upscale gourmet” joints, “small-chains” and “big chains.” The point being, that South Florida has enough joints to satisfy everyone’s taste and pocketbook.

Now let me tell you about Cucina Rosano which is “part” of a small chain (3 locations). In addition to Cucina Rosano, the husband and wife team that own the chain, also have Bistro Rosano in Coral Springs and Villa Rosano in Boca Raton.

Although all three joints have similar menus and decor, for some unknown reason, Cucina Rosano is terrific, while the other two are just fair. I have eaten in all three joints (5 times in Cucina, 3 times in Villa and 3 times in Bistro) and have always found Cucina Rosano’s food and service to be real solid, while the other two seemingly always miss on the food-front and have dis-jointed/confused service.

Just so you know, Cucina Rosano is a “red sauce” joint. The food is far from being gourmet stuff, but for what is basically a “mom & pop” chain, the pastas, pizzas, fish and meat entrees are heads above the stuff you usually get in this kind of neighborhood joint. The prices and portion size are “what you would expect” from this type of local joint. Trust me, you won’t go to the poor-house.

Give Cucina Rosano a try. As for Villa and Bistro, let’s just say, there are better places around. Cucina is open 7 days a week, Monday-Saturday 11:30am-2:30pm (lunch) and 5pm-10pm dinner, Sunday 5pm-10pm.

***** Fra Diavolo
5444 North University Drive
Lauderhill, Florida 33351
(954) 746-3132

Over the years, I have eaten in Fra Diavolo (Southern Italian) at least 5 times. I have never had a “bad” meal. My wife has never had a “bad” meal. Friends that have eaten there have never had a “bad” meal. Therefore, all things being equal, if you eat at Fra Diavolo you will not have a “bad” meal.

Fra Diavolo is a very cozy (but upscale looking) joint. You will feel right at home “all dolled up,” or in a tee-shirt/shorts. Fra Diavolo’s prices are no more expensive than the neighborhood “mom & pop” joints that dot the South Florida landscape. Fra Diavolo’s food, runs circles around the pastas, meat and fish entress that most of the mom & pop/small chains serve-up.

Give this joint a try. Like I said before, I never “heard” of anyone (myself included) ever having a bad meal at this joint.

Fra Diavolo is closed on Monday. Fra Diavolo is open for dinner, Sunday-Thursday 4:30pm-10pm and Friday-Saturday 4:30pm-11pm.

***** Wilt Chamberlain’s
8903 Glades Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33442
(561) 488-8881

Let me start by saying, that if you are “with” children ages 3-10, Wilt Chamberlain’s is a great place to have lunch or dinner. If not, be smart and stay away from this joint.

Wilt Chamberlain’s is a sports bar-restaurant-video arcade. It first opened for business in December, 1990 and if I have my facts correct, is now into its fourth owner.

Wilt’s has tv sets and memorabilia all over the place. Wilt’s has a large menu loaded with appetizers, salads, burgers, pizza, entrees and desserts. Wilt’s food is good and fairly priced. Wilt’s in addition to a dining area, has a handsome bar-room.

Now for the good and bad news, depending on who “you are.”

Wilt’s has a large video-game arcade. If you have children aged 3-10, Wilt’s is a great place to eat and play. If you don’t have children aged 3-10 with you, Wilt’s is a noisey-loud-hectic joint, that you don’t want to set foot in.

Just a quick “memo” to Wilt’s newest owner: The problem with Wilt’s from Day One, has always been the physical layout of the joint. You have a gorgeous dining room and bar-room. You have good food and good prices. The one draw back to your joint, is that the arcade is too close to that gorgeous dining room and bar-room. The noise level that is generated by “little kids” playing video-arcade-games is “annoying” beyond belief to any normal “childless” adult-diner. By the way, the reason why your “tables” don’t turn-quickly is because, many of the moms and dads sit at the tables/booths and allow their children to “play” in the arcade unsupervised. You “Mr. Owner” need to get those parents out of those booths and tables and into the arcade, so you can seat new “paying” customers.

Wilt’s gets a THUMBS UP for those with kids and a THUMBS DOWN for those without kids.

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

One final thought. I seriously doubt that most of the kids who “play” at Wilt’s even know who Wilt Chamberlain was. Then again, the same thing probably goes for Michael Jordan.

***** Keg South Of Kendall
12805 Southwest 136th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33186
(305) 253-2043

If one your life’s quests is to find great hamburgers/great french fries/great onion rings (all in one joint), Keg South Of Kendall is the place for you.

Just a heads-up, this BAR has tvs and video games, but no wait-staff. To put it “mildly,” this joint ain’t for the “polo-pony crowd.”

I am telling you, the 1/2lb. burger is absolutely terrific. The same goes for Keg’s fries and onion rings.

Keg is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. By the way, there is other stuff “to eat,” but YOU are making the trip to this joint for the burgers-fries-onion rings-Coke (if you are not the driver, then you can “switch” the Coke to a beer).

Try this place.

***** Ferro Pizza
8146 North University Drive
Tamarac, Florida 33321
(954) 722-3444

If you are a “follower” of JeffEats.com, you know that I absolutely love a great slice of pizza. As a matter of fact, it’s a toss-up between a greasy cheeseburger/french fries/coke—and—a couple of slices of pizza/coke as to which is my favorite “meal.”

Ferro Pizza has been around “something like” 25 years. The operative word in this joint’s name is PIZZA. This “mom & pop” restaurant (owned and operated by husband-wife, John and Valentina) makes some “heavy-duty” absolutely delicious pizza. A recent “snack” of two squares of Ferro’s sicilian pizza and a coke, reminded me of the Pizza Den, which was one of my favorite Brooklyn pizza joints (1950s-1970s).

The menu at Ferro Pizza is not solely limited to pizza. There is a full-lineup of “pretty decent” pastas, meat-fish entrees etc., so everyone will find something to eat. If you try this joint, make it your business to at least “have” a piece of sicilian pizza. I am telling you, it will make your day.

Ferro Pizza is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner.

Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
1 Seminole Way
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Hollywood, Florida 33314
(954) 327-7501

This “upscale” steak-seafood joint is located in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. I had dinner there last Saturday night (January 6, 2007).

Council Oak’s food is FAIR. Council Oak’s wait-service is FAIR. Council Oak’s menu is OVERPRICED.

There is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to eat at this restaurant, unless you are a guest of the Seminole Indians or someone else.

***** Bob & Eddie’s
130 South Congress Avenue
Delray Beach, Florida, 33445
(561) 276-0206

Bob & Eddie’s is the consumate “hole in the wall” Italian joint. It seats “maybe” 18 and makes terrific hot/cold heros, pizza, calzone, stromboli, pasta and parmigiana entrees. To date, I have “sampled” a chicken parmigiana hero, veal cutlet parmigiana hero, ziti with broccoli, meat lasagna and a “slice” of cheese pizza. Don’t be a “wiseguy.” No, I didn’t do “all” my sampling at one seating.

Bob & Eddie’s is basically a “take-out” joint. As for a rating, its “stuff” is probably better than 90% of the mom & pop Italian “operations” that dot the South Florida landscape. The heros are going to run you about $6-7. A veal cutlet parmigiana entree with a salad and pasta side goes for $10.95 and a chicken parmigiana entree (with salad and pasta side) is $9.75. A plain cheese pizza “runs” 10″-$6.75, 14″-$8.75 and 16″-$9.75.

Good food at real cheap prices. This is a real good joint to know about. Bob & Eddies is open 7 days a week, Sunday-Friday 11am-9pm and Saturday 11am-10pm.

***** Uncle Lui’s Restaurant
8318 West Oakland Park Boulevard
Sunrise, Florida 33351
(954) 749-1908

One of your 2007’s New Year’s Resolutions should be, to eat dinner at Uncle Lui’s Restaurant a HUNGARIAN RESTAURANT in Sunrise, Florida.

Uncle Lui’s is a my kind of a joint: 1. It is a hole in the wall, which has tables and booths covered with vinyl tablecloths. 2. It is owned and opererated by the Bodnar Family (father, mother, son and daughter) who I assume are of “Hungarian decent.” 3. The food is terrific.; 4. The portions are enormous; 5.The service is terrific. 6. The prices are ‘dirt-cheap.”

Uncle Lui’s is open Wednesday-Sunday for dinner. Just so you know, this is not an “undiscovered” joint, so be smart and make sure that you have a reservation, because if you don’t you “ain’t” getting in. From what I can figure, the Bodnars basically have three seatings, 5pm, 6:30pm and 8pm, but at times this “seating” thing doesn’t exactly run like clockwork (then again if I recall “my” history, it’s the Swiss that make the timepieces and not the Hungarians.)

Just a heads-up: You can order ala carte at Uncle Lui’s, but the way-to-go, is by ordering one of the 15 price-fixed dinners on the menu. These dinners are priced between $11-16 and include soup or salad, entree, one side dish, coffee and dessert. In addition, every meal comes with a complimentary appitezier of potato pancakes and “family style servings” of creamed spinach and red cabbage.

A recent dinner, allowed me to sample 4 entrees: roast duck, veal goulash, chicken paprikash and chicken francese. I am telling you, the food was terrific and the doggy-bags were loaded.

Try this joint.

Gaucho Rodizio
4060 North Federal Highway
Lighthouse Point, Florida 33064
(954) 784-7667

ALL YOU CAN EAT JOINTS like Gaucho Rodizio are “popping” up all over South Florida.

Big buffets, complemented by guys “going from table to table” with enormous skewers loaded with steak, veal, chicken and lamb.

Gaucho is open 7 days a week for lunch and dinner. Depending on when you “go,” a meal is going to run you between $20-$40 a person.

Do you know what a “bunch of crap” is? Dine at Gaucho and you’ll find out. This joint is just a big waste of time.

One other little tidbit. Desserts are not included in the ALL YOU CAN EAT BUFFET. If you want a “good laugh,” you should see the look on customers’ faces when they get their bills, which include a per-dessert charge. Just an observation, but the “MO” of this joint, is apparently to have waiters with dessert carts visit each table (remaining silent that desserts cost extra) and encourage customers to sample different offerings. Then, and only when a customer “bitches” to the management about the dessert-bill, the management “magnamiously” removes the charges.

Be smart, stay away from this joint.