SouthFloridaRestaurants.com – South Florida Restaurants

July 22, 2010.  We ordered from the three-course dinner menu. Shortly after being seated, we enjoyed the excellent warm bread, the Mezzacorona Cabernet Sauvignon and an excellent Riesling. For appetizers the braised baby octopus was tasty and tender. The salad was very good.

For main dishes, the Veal San Remo was a pleasant change from the usual veal dishes. The veal scaloppini was topped with fresh roasted pepper and mozzarella cheese finished with a white wine, lemon and butter sauce. The lemon flavor gave the dish a delightful taste. The entree included a vegetable and potato.

The other entree we enjoyed was the Penne Broccoli Rabe and chicken.  The fresh rabe broccoli and chicken was sauteed with garlic and extra virgin olive oil and tossed with penne pasta. The dish was tasty.

For desert we had tiramisu and a cannoli. The tiramisu had a perfect consistency and a wonderful flavor.  The cannoli was smooth and tasted very fresh.  Excellent coffee was included with the dessert.

The service was very attentive and the setting was an excellent place to dine slowly enjoying the surroundings.

The complete dinner menu is an excellent value for $25 per person. The wines- by-the- glass we selected were $9 each. An a la carte menu is also available.

Some restaurants are going green. They are aware of energy-efficient and environmentally  sound  practices.  Cafe Portofino is the first GRA two-Star Certified restaurant in Naples.

For more green restaurants in Florida and elsewhere along with details of their green practices, please visit greenenergyforearth.com/?tag=green-restaurants.

Tom Danks is a commercial real estate agent who finds real estate for restaurant owners and helps commercial property owners sell or lease to restaurants and others. This commercial real estate agent has many years of experience in the restaurant industry. In addition to helping with real estate needs, he can provide consulting services to restaurants and conducts food-safety and alcohol compliance training classes. Tom Danks is a real estate agent at Keller Williams Boynton Beach office and provides restaurant consulting services through Restaurants On Tap.

For more information please visit TomDanks.com and RestaurantsOnTap.com.

Tucci’s Fire N Coal Pizza
50 Northeast 1st Avenue
Boca Raton, FL 33432
(561) 620-2930

On July3, 2010, we enjoyed the thin crust pizza with arugula. Although there was less cheese on the pizza than in many other establishments, the sauce was very tasty. The arugula was good, but it is better eaten in a salad as the tomato sauce hides the unique flavor of arugula.

We started with a Caesar salad and garlic bread. One salad is more than enough for two people. The garlic bread is different, three pieces of flat bread (pizza without the sauce and cheese)  with garlic and oil.

This is a small restaurant where all ages dine.  There were TV’s with a baseball game. The volume was turned off.

A menu can be found at www.tuccispizza.com.

Brooklyn Water Bagel Co.
14451 South Military Trail
Delray Beach, FL 33484
(561) 455-7491

We enjoyed breakfast at Brooklyn Water Bagel Company in Delray Beach on July 2,  2010.  The bagels have an excellent flavor because of the water used in the baking process. They use a 14-stage patented water treatment process.

We had a unique bagel, Asiago cheese which is similar to parmesan.  We had smoked salmon, cream cheese and onions on the bagel. The flavors combined well. The texture of the bagel is just right, not to heavy.  We drank excellent coffee with our breakfast. The water used gave the coffee a wonderful flavor.

At this restaurant you order food at the counter. When you get to a table, you place a card into a card reader. The staff knows where to bring your food when ready.  Atmosphere is nice with decent decor.

For a menu and more information, please visit www.brooklynwaterbagels.com.

PAI WEI ASIAN DINER

522 N. Pine Island Road

Plantation, FL 33324

Phone: 954-308-3720

Pai Wei (pronounced “Pay Way”) is a subsidiary of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and was originally launched in July 2000 as a vehicle for them with many locations.  They have consistently flavorful dishes from China, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.  Their dishes are made-to-order featuring authentic Mandarin-style wok cooking in an exhibition kitchen.  Pai Wei has a similar look and feel of P.F. Chang’s, but more casual and convenient for everyday dining.  Their varied menu is available for eat-in as well as take-out and is moderately priced.  They take most major credit cards.  This is a great alternative for local business people or others on the go who want a quick meal.

I ate at Pai Wei in Plantation for the first time about a week ago with my son and really enjoyed it.  It was not very crowded when we first got there at 5:45pm on a Thursday night, but by the time we left, there was a medium-size line that moved quickly.  Once you order and pay, the waiters bring your food and drinks to your table.  The cashier taking our order was helpful and fast.  Our service was prompt and efficient.  I ordered hot and sour soup which was tasty and fresh.  My son had a spicy chicken dish that also looked and tasted delicious.  Portions are generous much like they are at P.F. Chang’s.  I would recommend trying Pai Wei for lunch or dinner and I look forward to going back there again soon.

Grand Lux Café

6000 Glades Road Town Center Mall, Suite 1016

Boca Raton, FL 33431

www.grandluxcafe.com

Grand Lux Café has four other locations in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and Dallas.  This restaurant offers a varied selection of global cuisine served in an elegant, but relaxed atmosphere.  They are also known for their freshly baked desserts, pastries, cakes and a special selection of The Cheesecake Factory’s famous cheesecakes.  Grand Lux Café is open every day for lunch, dinner, cocktails, late evening and weekend breakfast.  Conveniently located at the Town Center Mall, plenty of free parking is available.  Their extensive menu is also available in brail.  Dress is very casual to business casual and most major credit cards are accepted. There is a separate bar area in the front of the restaurant with tables for dining.  The décor of the restaurant is beautiful and ornate.

I have eaten at Grand Lux Café in Boca Raton several times and have enjoyed it each time.  Their portions are generous and their prices are moderate.  For lunch I usually have their lunch specials which are like the regular meals, but smaller portions.  Everything is always hot and fresh.  Their fish dishes are delicious as well as their hamburgers.  My favorite dish keeps changing, but I do think their crab cakes and sautéed spinach is superb.  If you like Sheppard’s Pie, you have to try theirs.  Of course, the desserts are delicious.  The staff is courteous and the service is prompt and efficient.  I enjoy dining at Grand Lux Café and look forward to returning there again soon. 

McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant
1400 Glades Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33431
(561) 394-2428

http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com

Bill McCormick and Doug Schmick founded the company in Portland, Oregan more than 30 years ago.  McCormick & Schmick’s is an upscale or upscale casual dining experience with moderate pricing.  They also have a separate bar area in front.  All major credit cards are accepted and they offer complimentary valet parking.  The dress code can either be business attire as people come there from work or casual to dress casual.  Reservations are encouraged either by phone or online.  Their expertise is fresh seafood so the menu is comprised of what is in season and available fresh that day.  Nothing is frozen.  In addition to seafood, McCormick & Schmick’s serves delicious steak dishes, chicken, pasta and entrée salads.

My husband and I dined at the Boca Raton McCormick & Schmick’s location recently on a Friday night.  We had reservations for 7:00pm so at that time it was not crowded yet.  It was almost completely full within an hour.  We both ordered the seafood special that included salmon, Chilean sea bass, crab cake, asparagus, and rice.  Our dinner even included a crème brule.  The meal was hot and very tasty.  I would highly recommend it to others.  Our service was friendly, prompt, and efficient.  Our waiter did not rush us through the meal and let us relax at our table.  I look forward to going back to McCormicks & Schmick’s soon and will try their other dishes as well.

THE RUSTIC CELLAR INC.

409 SE Mizner Blvd.

Boca Raton, FL 33432

Phone: 561-392-5237

Website: http://www.rusticcellar.com

The dining area and tasting bar offer comfortable seating in a relaxed cozy atmosphere with a casual dress code.  Outside seating is also available in the front.  The Rustic Cellar has been open for business since April of 2005 and is like having the wine country brought to us here in Florida.  The love of wine is their specialty and most of their wines come from California, Oregon and Washington.  They offer 350 distinctively different tasting wines by the glass or by the bottle at reasonable prices.  There can be as many as 50 bottles of wine open at one time.  However, if you want to taste something else that is not already opened, you can ask for a 6-ounce serving.  A glass usually ranges from $6 to $70.  The Rustic Cellar currently hosts tastings from 7 to 9pm every Friday.  In addition to an extensive wine collection, they do serve beer and are open for lunch and dinner daily except Sundays.  Most major credit cards are accepted and no reservations are required. 

My husband and I shared an appetizer and each had a glass of wine at the bar while we were in the area of Mizner Park during the week in the late afternoon.  The bartender was friendly and explained the many wines to us.   At 4:30pm on a weekday it’s not crowded.  We had a delicious penne pasta and cheese appetizer that was made to order.  Each of us tried different wines that were already opened and got 30% off.  We would recommend trying this bistro style restaurant when in the downtown Boca area near Mizner Park.  Next time we go there, we will try one of their various lunch or dinner entrees. 

FUJI Asian Cuisine

21191 Powerline Road

Boca Raton, FL 33433

Phone: 561-392-8778

Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm Monday-Friday; 5-11pm daily

Fuji is a fine cuisine that serves a variety of Sushi, Asian, Japanese, Fusin Pan Asian, and Seafood dishes.  They serve lunch and dinner daily and reservations are not required.  Dress code is casual and their menu prices are very reasonable between $16-25.  The location is easy to get to and there is plenty of parking. 

My husband and I ate there recently for dinner on a Friday night around 7:00pm and had great tasting sushi that was fresh, generous portions, and friendly and prompt service.  We ordered from the “summer specials” menu and each had a complete dinner for $15.99!  I started out with delicious crab miso soup, sushi sampler, chicken teriyaki, and a huge green tea ice cream that I could not finish.  My husband had the same as me, except his main dish was duck.  The main dishes were good, but the sushi sampler was the best.  The restaurant seemed to fill up later at night as we were leaving.  I would recommend trying Fuji for lunch or dinner and we look forward to going back there soon.