A Great Place: Sal's Hagen Ranch Rd

I've been here more times than I can count and have always had a tasty, economical meal. They have all the usual Italian fare and their pasta fagioli is exceptional!

Ask for your pizza "thin and crispy" and it will come to you exactly that way. One of my favorites is the "chicken scarpariello." Michelle loves the "chicken parm" with a dollop of ricotta cheese which makes a richer, sweeter flavor. It is definitely worth a try.

Seven dollar large pizzas on Mondays and Tuesdays or try my favorite "the New Yorker" and order it thin and crispy, just like the picture.

Matteo's Family Style Ristorante Italiano in Hallandale

 

"Welcome to Matteo's," the man holding the door open spoke as we walked through the doorway into a bustling dining room; every table full with people laughing and eating.

"Party of nine," we replied, "we have a reservation." Our table was ready and waiting for us and we were seated immediately.

We checked out the menu, ordered a bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling water, and a full size Italian antipasto. Everyone selected their entree of choice. Matteo's offerings are listed on the menu as "full" orders and "half" orders. Don't be surprised at the amount of food you receive. A half order is more than enough for one and a full can be shared by two or three.

Chopped Salad

Luca Bella Family Style Italian in Aventura

When you are ready for a Family Style Italian dinner think about going to Mickey Maltese's Luca Bella at 19088 NE 29th Ave in Aventura. Mickey, formerly with Matteo's on Hallandale Beach Blvd, has taken this family style restaurant to the next level.

Large portions, big enough for two or more are complimented with excellent service and great tasting food. Mickey makes the rounds stopping to talk with each patron asking whether their choices were up to their expectations and inviting them back. It just makes you want to come back again and again.

Ristorante Da Ciccio Amalfi, Italy

   Authentic Italian  

cielo, mare, terra



There is nothing more authentic than dining in an Italian retaurant in Italy. While Michelle and I were touring the Amalfi Coast, our driver, Salvatore, suggested we try out this adorable restaurant. We invited him to join us but he declined and said he would stay with the car.

 

Pete's Cafe Bella Sera

I purchased a Groupon for Pete's a few months ago and since it is a little off my regular flight plan I had put off using the coupon until a couple of Sunday nights ago. When I finally located the place I discovered that they are closed on Sundays.

A few weeks later I had another opportunity and although it was a Saturday night I thought Michelle and I would take a chance without a reservation. That might not have been the best decision.

When we walked in the place was bustling with patrons. Some being escorted into the dining room and others sitting or mingling in the bar area. The hostess checked her chart and assured us that a table would be available in about 15 minutes.

Cucina Mio

This was not my first trip to Cucina Mio nor will it be my last. They have the best hook of any restaurant. And the hook is that their food is just unbelievably good! There is usually a pretty long wait during the dining hour but on this Saturday night, when we arrived at 8:45 pm, we were instantly seated.


Michelle tries the Pasta Fagioli at every Italian restaurant we go to



Carlucci's Italian Restorante

Dave, Dale, and I went over to Carlucci's Italian Restorante on N. Andrews Ave and Cypress Creek for lunch. They have some great tasting lunch specials at cheap prices. Our server, Mike, was on the ball and after bringing our drinks he dropped off a basket of some of the best garlic rolls I have ever eaten. He told us to be careful because they were addictive. I tend to agree........

After a few minutes the food appeared. Dale got a salad to start. Dave had a piece of pizza and he and I had a cup of deliciously creamy pasta fagioli.

Stallone's Italian Kitchen

If you're in the mood for some great Italian food and some giant portions take a ride over to Stallone's Italian Kitchen on Glades Road west of the turnpike in Boca. Situated in a small shopping center with Rooms To Go, Stallone's is much more than your local pizza joint.

Our drink order was taken and delicious fresh rolls were delivered to our table as we made up our minds on what to order. Steve ordered chicken parmigiana and I chose spaghetti with meatballs. Michelle and Illona ordered the Italian Feast for two.

Trattoria Bella Cibo

Never Trust a Skinny Chef! That's Chef Tommy's favorite saying.

This place is nowhere near my regular flight plan so had it not been for GottaHalfIt I would never have found this jewel. It is located in Margate on Margate Boulevard about a block off 441. The first thing you see as you approach is a large covered outdoor eating area that extends down the side of the building.

Nino's of Delray

I've been to Nino's several times and after my last visit I knew I needed to add them to the blog. They have consistently good food and service and I am always looking forward to a return visit.

Michelle and I dropped in here late on a Tuesday night. Once we were seated our waitress brought a basket full of garlic rolls as we studied the menu. Of course we started with a bowl of pasta fagioli and it was a good choice.

Corelino's Coal Oven Pizza & Cucina

Michelle and I were ready to try out a new place late on a recent Monday night. It was about 9pm when I rolled into the shopping center where Chris' Taverna is located in Lantana. On our previous visits to Chris' I had eyed a small Italian place on the corner, in the same shopping center, named Corelino's Coal Oven Pizza & Cucina.

I parked the car and we walked up to the windows and we could see that they were already cleaning up to close. There was a gentleman sitting at one of the outside tables underneath the overhang eating his meal. "I think they're still open," he said, "push on the door."

Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant

Da Vinci's Italian Restaurant is in a Publix shopping plaza on the NW corner of Jog and Boynton Beach Boulevard. I frequented this place for several years and watched them grow while enjoying many delicious meals with many friends and relatives. Then suddenly, some time ago everything changed. The food wasn't as good. The employees weren't as friendly and the whole atmosphere changed. I stopped going.

Then one day I received an email from my daughter who lives in Port St. Lucie telling me
 that there was a deal on GottaHalfIt to get $35 worth of food for $20.00.

Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza

"Our Pizza is Well Done," is what the motto says. But it could say "Our Pizza is Done Well!" Either way you slice it their pizza is a delight. Now me, I'm a thin, crispy crust pizza lovin' kind of guy. Even at the regular pizza joints I go to I always request thin and crispy. At Anthony's it's what they do best.

Cici's Pizza "Almost Too Good to be True!"

Have you ever tried Hawaiian Pizza? Ham and pineapple toppings? I know it's not an Italian thing but sometimes you just have to get past the pepperoni and sausage and have a little fun.

That's what's happening at Cici's Pizza. I went to a little shindig for Joey, my grandson, in recognition of his reaching the ripe old age of 5.0. No he's not FIFTY, he's five.


Joey at his Big 5.0 birthday

Jack's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant

Tonight I had a really unique experience. Michelle and I met Ellie, Aunt Harriet, Lynn, Gladys, Miriam and Chris. Aunt Harriet set up the reservations for 5:30 at Jacks Pizzeria on the SW corner of Military Trail and Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.

Mazzola's Italian Restaurant

Do you ever just walk into a place and know for sure that you're gonna love it? Well that's the way I felt when I first walked into Mazzola's Italian Restaurant in Davie. If you don't know exactly where this place is you could never find it. It's in the rear of the shopping center at the NW corner of Flamingo and Orange Drive.

John's Hero King

I heard that John's Hero King of Brooklyn NY had opened a Florida location with the "world's best heroes," so I thought I would give it a try. I was expecting your standard Italian sub shop fare that we are used to here in South Florida but not so. John's specialty hero is the roast beef with "muutz," (mozzarello,) onions, and gravy.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

I Love This Place! Carrabba's Italian Grill is my favorite "chain" Italian place. They have really got it together. My first visit was to their location in Jacksonville, Florida before any appeared in the South Florida area and I just couldn't wait for them to open down here.

I've been to several area locations and they have the main ingredient for a well managed chain restaurant: consistency; quality consistency. Excellent tasting foods, good service and at a reasonable price.

This past weekend Michelle and I took a short trip to the west coast of Florida. By the time we checked into the hotel and unpacked it was about 9:30pm

Portobella Italian Restaurant

I have driven by this place a hundred times before I noticed it tucked back in the corner of a strip center at Military Trail between Boynton Beach Blvd. and Old BB Blvd. It was after 8pm and Michelle and I were ready for dinner.

The place is small, maybe 15 crowded tables, but they have additional outdoor seating available. On this night no one was outside as it was about 45 degrees out there!

Don and Vinny's

Don and Vinny's is my kind of place. A small place, in a shopping center, where you are greeted like long lost family and treated as such, too. Occasionally, Vinny comes out from the kitchen with his bandanna to ask around, "is it good? Do you like? Everything okay?"

Michelle and I were introduced to Don and Vinny's by my sister Lydia and brother-in-law Pepe on a Saturday night a couple of months ago.