APPLEBEE’S www.Applebees.com 561-279-2666

1720 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, FL 33483

You feel welcome when you go to Applebee’s restaurants. There are  many locations nationwide. It is a geared to all ages and accommodating to families and large groups with a casual atomosphere.  They now have the Carside to Go orders which is very convenient when you are in a hurry. There is a bar with daily happy hour specials. They regularly advertise their 2 for $20 dinner specials and also offer several dinners for 550 calories and under. I was there with a friend for dinner on a Wednesday night around 7:30pm at the Delray Beach location and waited only a few minutes for a table. It was still busy at that time. The hostess was friendly and the waitress was as well.  Looking through the menu, everything looked good!  The menu changes every season with new dishes.  It was a tough choice.

We shared a spinach dip appetizer. We both had iced tea to drink and got a chicken and shrimp dinner platter. It was brought out hot and delicious tasting! Afterwards, we shared a black cake and ice cream dessert. All and all, it was a nice dinner for a reasonable price. The atmosphere was not too noisy and I did not feel cramped. I have been there before for lunch and had salads. This time for dinner I was able to try one of their popular dishes. Looking forward to trying others when I return.

Some dishes that we have enjoyed are the wonton soup,  bbq ribs, shrimp with garden vegetables, duck, Mongolian beef, green pepper steak, mu shu pork, Hunan beef,  chicken with broccoli and chicken with cashew nuts. We enjoyed the brown rice and  friend rice.

The wonton soup is exceptional with wontons, Chinese vegtables and strips of pork.  BBQ ribs are served as an appetizer or main dish.  The shrimp with garden vegetables  was cooked just right.  The beef  and chicken dishes have a wonderful flavor, as excellent quality ingredients are used.

The restaurant is popular with seniors, but people of all ages enjoy the food. The pistachio or vanilla ice cream for dessert has a great texture and taste. Fortune cookies are included.

Delivery is often quick.

Hunan Gardens
Boca Ray Plaza
4900 Linton Blvd. # 23
Delray Beach, FL 33445
(561) 498-1898

They have a variety of items for the lunch specials. Although the menu said “Summer Specials,” they were being served at the end of November. The restaurant is located in the Pineapple Grove area of  Delray Beach at

200 NE 2nd Ave
Ste.  110
Delray Beach, FL 33444

Telephone: (561) 266-9929

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.