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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

 Pastrami Queen is located at 7132 Beracasa Way in Boca Raton, FL 33433. (561) 391-8989.

17940 North Military Trail

Suite 700

Boca Raton,  Florida 33496

Phone: (561) 995-5044  Fax: (561) 995-5024

The atmosphere at the Ke’e Grill is very relaxed and comfortable.  The tropical and exotic motif of Hawaii surrounds you.  The lighting, bamboo walls, and tables with the large umbrellas gives you the feeling of being at a resort in the tropics.  The Boca Raton location is one of four in Florida and is in a prime area for steady business.  Reservations are strongly suggested and the tables fill up fast.  When we dined there this past weekend, we were lucky to get in on such short notice. 

The staff seemed to be very friendly and accommodating from the moment we walked in.  Our waitress, Linda, was very helpful in ordering and service was prompt and efficient.  The menu at Ke’e Grill is primarily made up of Pacific, Asian, Polynesian and American Northwest dishes.  The food is of the highest quality and only the best cuts of meat are served.  The portions are very generous and the wide variety makes it hard to choose the one best dish to order. Their prices are reasonable for the amount of food that you receive and they do offer an Early Bird menu.  The wine list is extensive and their expresso martinis are the best!  I ordered the crab and yellowtail  combination which was very enjoyable.  Their fish tastes fresh and tender.  All of us had left-over food for the next day.  I look forward to going back to the Ke’e Grill again soon and recommending it to my family and friends.  If you haven’t tried the Ke’e Grill yet, do so and you won’t be disappointed.