3017 East Commercial Blvd.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida  33308

Phone: 954-776-4282

www.zuckerellos.com

If you love Italian food and a comfortable dining experience, you will love this restaurant. When you arrive, someone greets you with a smile right away.  As you enter, to the right there are a sampling of their delicious meals to order. To a slight left is the bar. The smell of fresh garlic permiates the room. We had a reservation with three other couples for 6pm on a Sunday night. Early bird is from 4-6pm daily so it was still crowded when we arrived. The menu is varied and everything seems like a good choice.

Zuckerello’s has won the Zagat award and has been featured in articles in the Sun Sentinel. They have special events and do cater for larger parties. It is a great place for family and friend gatherings as well as for romantic dinners. Their other location is in Aventura.

Some people ordered wine. Several of us ordered the Gorgonzola salad that was to die for.  It was actually large enough for my husband and I to share. Their bread comes with fresh garlic. All of us enjoyed the bread. I ordered the eggplant parmigiana and it was a large portion with spaghetti and mixed vegetables. My husband ordered the meat lasagna that was fully layered and was a large portion as well covered with cheese. Both of us had enough left over to bring  home for dinner the following evening. One of our friends ordered the liguini with clam sauce and really enjoyed that.  All of us were too full for dessert and coffee, but they do have a variety of delicious desserts for next time.

Our service and presentation of the meals was very nice and attentive. The waiters did not rush us and we were able to dine relaxing for over two hours with our friends. I would love to come back again to try their other dishes.

There was live music on the Saturday afternoon when we visited.

Our table was on the covered patio.  We started with freshly baked bread,  Maine lobster bisque,  and lobster and crab cakes. The lobster bisque had a nice consistency and contained a lobster-crab fritter.  The lobster and crab cakes were served with a tropical fruit salsa, mango chipolte aioli.

For the main dish we enjoyed the Yellowtail Snapper which was a pan seared in a lemon-caper sauce and served with Florida Gulf shrimp, fresh asparagus, portobello mushrooms, and Yukon gold mashed potatoes.  The fish and shrimp were very fresh and tasty.  The asparagus spears were large and had a good flavor.

The freshly-brewed ice tea was very refreshing. Service was excellent and very attentive.

For desert, we enjoyed chocolate mouse and key-lime pie.  The pie was in a round shape and superb.  The chocolate mouse had a thin layer of chocolate cake at the bottom which gave it extra flavor.  The espresso and cappuccino were very good.

Other offerings include a variety of sandwiches, appetizers, salads, entrees and desserts. There is a full bar including tropical drinks.  The sandwiches we saw were large enough to be shared.

Menus with prices can be viewed on their website.

Hours of  Operation:

Breakfast Daily: 6:30-11:00 am, till 12:00 pm on weekends
Lunch Daily: 11:00 am-5:00 pm
Dinner: Sunday-Thursday 5:00-10:00 pm and Friday-Saturday 5:00-11:00 pm

Tiki Bar:  Sunday-Thursday 10:00am-12:00am and Friday-Saturday 10:00am-1:00am

Website:  latitudesonthebeach.com

Location and Contact Information:

2501 North Ocean Drive
Hollywood, FL 33019

Phone: 954-924-2202 x7040

1611 N. Federal Highway

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33305

Phone: 954-563-4141

I was at Mario’s Catalina Restaurant for a networking group holiday dinner on a Monday night with 18 other professionals. It was a lovely experience in Cuban, American, and Spanish Cuisine with light Latin music in the background. We had a large long table on the outside inclosed patio area in the front of the restaurant. We were welcomed right away and drink orders were taken. They are known for their fruit sangrias and their mojitos.  My husband and I had the fruit sangrias.  The food is fresh and delicious and the service is superb. The restaurant is able to handle larger gatherings as well as romantic dinners for two.  The prices are moderate to pricey, but the presentation and food quality is worth it. The meal portions are generous.

We started with appetizers for the table. Then everyone got the salad with fruit and vegetables.  I had the grouper in lobster sauce that came with asparagus. Some of group had the salmon with lemon sauce and others had pulled pork or strip steak dishes. I had flam for dessert that was very smooth.

I look forward to returning to Mario’s Catalina for dinner another time and trying some of their other dishes. There is another location in Miami.

T REX Cafe Restaurant

Downtown Disney

Marketplace – 1676 E. Buena Vista Drive

Orlando, FL 32830

(407) 828-TREX (8739) for reservations

Going to Disney Village in Downtown Disney is a treat in itself. There are attractions, shops, movies, and dining choices all throughout the area. In the marketplace area is T Rex Cafe Restaurant.  T-REX Café is a dinosaur-themed family eatery serving lunch and dinner amid prehistoric creatures, fun displays and merchandise in Downtown Disney area. T-Rex has a Build-A-Dino Workshop by Build-A-Bear. T-Rex is part of the Premium, Platinum and Wine and Dine Packages. Stare into the eyes of a dangerous Tyrannosaurus Rex or size up a stegosaurus or triceratops living in a prehistoric landscape of geysers and jungle-like greenery. They are open daily for lunch and dinner and take all major credit cards.

There is a separate children’s menu complete with a coloring book and crayons upon arrival. There are pre-historic exhibits that move and make sounds at different times while dining there. There is a huge fish aqaurium in the front behind the bar. When my husband and I arrived with my grandson on a Friday afternoon, there was a line to get seated, but it moved quickly and efficiently. The lunch menu had much to choose from with moderate pricing. There are dishes that are good for large and smaller appetites. I shared a gigantosaures burger and waffle fries with my husband and my grandson ordered the children’s cheese pizza.  We all loved our food. It was hot, fresh, and tasty. There were many waitresses going back and forth. Our waitress was very friendly and made us feel comfortable. She answered our questions and served us effectively and promptly.

It was fun having entertainment and interaction while we were eating good food. Looking forward to going there again and trying one of their dinner dishes.

Max’s Grille has a wide variety of food and wine. You may enjoy full entrees, sandwiches or tapas. Max’ Grille now serves breakfast.

On Friday, from 11:30am to 4:00 pm, $5 hamburgers are available.

For more information and menus, please visit maxsgrille.com.

404 Plaza Real
Boca Raton, FL 33432
(561) 368-0080

(954) 845-1113    www.pfchangs.com

In P.F. Chang’s locations you are surrounded by American and Chinese culture. If you want to eat healthy or not, P.F. Chang’s has a variety for you to choose from on their menu. Their lunch bowls are economical and filling. I would suggest trying something that you have not had before and you will love it! I met some friends there on Sunday for lunch and because we had ten people, we decided to order family style and share different platters. We started with wonton soup and appetizers. Then we ordered three different dishes to share such as mongolian beef, vegetables with lo mein, and my favorite, baby shrimp with walnuts and melon balls. It was delicious! The Asian and Chinese dishes are easy to digest and do not give you that heavy uncomfortable feeling. Some people had wine and I had the honey ginger decaffeinated green tea that I usually order.  P.F. Chang’s has a wine creation that is called Vineyard 518 which is a “green” concept with earth-friendly packaging. For dessert we ordered two larger desserts to share. One was a chocolate fudge preparation and the other one was a fried banana and ice cream creation. Both were rich, filling, and delicious! Our service was efficient and friendly. The waitress seemed to have a lot of patience with a large group ordering so much food.  The restaurant was crowded and has an upbeat atmosphere.  It did happen to be a weekend in the middle of the holiday season at a large upper scale discount mall.  They offer online ordering and pick-up as well.  Reservations can be made online or by phone. Great place for parties. With a Warrior Card there are various discounts offered during the year. Most major credit cards are accepted. I have been to other P.F. Chang’s for lunch and for dinner and always enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere. I look forward to going there again soon to try even more dishes.

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.