Marina Deli 8/31

I'm back from Las Vegas and will post about my meals out there either later today or tomorrow.

Went to the Marina Deli at 1453 SE 17th St, Fort Lauderdale. It is located off of 17th St. Causeway in back of the Office Depot/Ross shopping center. I've been going to this place for years. Marina Deli is a traditional NY style deli that makes great sandwiches and also does a good breakfast too. The staff is extremely friendly, the have ample seating and there is plenty of free parking in the shopping center.
After 4 days in Las Vegas I needed something a bit lighter, so I just got the freshly sliced turkey breast on Rye. It comes with a side of coleslaw or potato salad. At first my sandwich was just a bit dry, so I put the coleslaw directly on the sandwich. (so much for eating light today) after that it was very good. I didn't get soup this time, but they make a good matzo ball soup and usually have 1 or 2 other soups daily.
Marina Deli is another solid lunch choice for good NY deli style sandwiches. 7.5/10

Healthy Lunch Options around Downtown Ft. Lauderdale

I'm leaving for Las Vegas today so I won't have any new posts until Monday, but I wanted to give some recommendations for lighter/healthier lunch items in the downtown Fort Lauderdale area. From time to time I'll get on a healthy eating kick (though it rarely lasts longer then a week). Here are some good choices:

1. Giorgio's on 17th st. Causeway has 2 excellent salads topped with grilled chicken. Ask for no cheese and no bacon. They have 2 salad dressing options, both are vinegar based so they probably aren't that bad for you.

2. California Pizza Kitchen on Federal Hwy, actually makes a bunch of great salads. I especially like the Thai chicken Salad, the BBQ chicken chopped salad, the Waldorf chicken salad, and the new Moroccan Chicken Salad.

3. Tokyo Sushi, next to Giorgio's on 17th St. Causeway. Pretty good quality sushi, though sometimes I leave there a little hungry if I just get the lunch portion of sushi or sashimi.

4. Gilbert's 17th St. Grill's seared tuna and Asian slaw. See Gilbert's post below from last week. Gilbert's also has some salads that are fairly good.

5. Ernie's BBQ, on Federal Hwy, south of 17th St. Conch Salad. Although the rest of the menu isn't particularly healthy, the large conch salad is a great choice, and is plenty filling.

6. Moe's Southwest Grill. The close talker salad is fairly heathly. Just get in on a plate, without the tortilla shell, and no cheese. Use some of the fresh salsas from the salsa bar instead of dressing. It's very good this way.

Anyone have other healthy lunch suggestions for the downtown area?

Don Arturo's 8/25

Don Arturo's is located off of Davie Blvd, just west of 95, at 1198 SW 27th Ave. Fort Lauderdale. They have daily lunch specials that average around $8. This place is very popular amongst the courthouse crowd. The food is always excellent, is very plentiful, and the service is great. They also get the food out fairly quickly which is great if you are pressed for time. Today I got the 1/4 roasted chicken with beans and rice and sweet plantains. They also have great cuban bread. Ask for a side of chimichuri and Jalapeno sauce. Both are excellent on the bread and mixed in with the rice and beans. I would eat here every week but the food is a little heavy for lunch and I always eat to much and feel sluggish afterwards, so we usually only go about once a month. 8.0/10

Giorgio's, 8/22

Giorgio's is located at 1499 SE 17TH St, Fort Lauderdale near Port Everglades, on the 17th St. Causeway. It is one of my regular lunch spots and I usually eat here once every 2 weeks or so. What I like about this place is that I can go there 5-10 times and get something different each time. They make excellent salads and hot and cold sandwiches. They also make pizzas but they are not my favorite.

Today I ordered the seafood salad which is marinated shrimp, scallops, and squid over a spring mix type salad. I actually ordered the appetizer portion for $9.75 which is more then enough. They do offer the full serving for $14.95, but I find the smaller amount to be more then sufficient. It was quite good as usual and a great choice for a lighter/healthier lunch. I did have 2 of their excellent rolls which are provided with a hummus type spread and butter, so I probably ruined the healthiness anyway though. Giorgio's isn't a huge place and they do get a bit crowded during peak lunch times, 12-12:45 or so. Again, one of my favorite regular lunch spots. 8.5/10

My Market Deli 8/21

Back to the old format today. I'll probably use the new format for sit down type places, or when I have more time to write.

Today I just got a sandwich to go from My Market Deli, which is located in the rear of a convenience store at 229 SW 17th St, Fort Lauderdale. I got the prosciutto roma, $8.99 It consists of pretty decent quality prosciutto, Boars Head I think, with fresh Mozzarella, basil and their balsamic vinegar based sauce on a ciabatti roll. An Excellent sandwich. $8.99 may seem like a lot for a sandwich, but prosciutto ain't cheap, so its actually a fairly decent price and it is more than big enough for lunch.
My Market is always crowded during lunch time so you need to call ahead with your order or plan on waiting a good 10-15 minutes during peak lunch times. They do have some tables in the back to dine in.
My Market Deli consistently makes some of the best subs and sandwiches in the area. Why anyone would ever go to places like Firehouse Subs, Subway, or Jimmy Johns, when they can go here is beyond me. 8.0/10

Moe's Southwest Grill, 8/20

I'm going to try a new format for this review as recommended by a reader, Mike M. While this format probably works better for a regular sit down place, I'll give it a try for Moe's. First, let me disclose that I am friends with the owner of this location of the franchise, but I don't think my comments are influenced by that in any way.

Location: Moe's Southwest Grill is located in the Harbour Shoppes off of 17th St. in Fort Lauderdale, near Port Everglades. There is plenty of free parking in the shopping plaza.

Service: Your order is prepared in front of you on an assembly line sort of system like at Subway. They move you through the line fairly quickly, so this is a great place for a quick fast food type lunch but with better then fast food quality.

Decor: Obviously nothing to fancy here, given the genre, but it is clean and well kept.

Food/Menu: As the name suggests, Moe's serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and salads. I had the 2 taco combo today that came with a side of queso, chips, and a drink for $8.39. Tacos were pretty good, but contained to much cheese for my taste. I should have told the preparer to put on less cheese, so this was my fault. Other then that, they were pretty good tacos and the combo made it a pretty good value. On previous visits I had the Close Talker salad which can be fairly heathly if ordered without cheese and either light on the dressing or just using salsa instead of dressing.

Overall, Moe's is a good choice for a quick, inexpensive lunch that allows you to choose exactly what toppings you want on your item. 7.5/10

Texas Hold 'Em BBQ, 8/19

I tried Texas Hold 'Em BBQ at 21 South West 7th StreeetFort Lauderdale, FL today. They used to be located on Sunrise Blvd near Andrews, so this new location is certainly an upgrade in neighborhoods.
I ordered the pulled pork dinner with mac n cheese and collard greens for $7.95. The pork was quite good and they added just the right amount of sauce and didn't completely smother it in bbq sauce, which is what many places do and I can't stand. Why someone would want to cover the taste of pork that has been slow cooked over wood for at least 10 hours with tons of sauce is beyond me. Anyway, I digress. I also thoroughly enjoyed the mac n cheese but the collard greens where just ok. Next time I go I'll be trying the ribs. Overall a very good lunch though, 8.0/10

Gilbert's 17th Street Grill, 8/18

Went to Gilbert's in the Harbour Shoppes off of 17th Street for lunch today. I had the seared tuna, served rare, with sesame cole slaw. It was quite good and a decent value for tuna at $10.95. The sesame cole slaw was excellent and not just thrown in as an afterthought as cole slaw often is. Gilbert's is always a solid choice for lunch. 7.5/10

Also need to mention that the Kwick Stop Convenience market on S.E. 7th Street and Federal Hwy, next to New River Pizza, has very good croissant's and breakfast type pastries that they make fresh daily. I got a great guava and cheese for breakfast from them today

Best Hamburger in Broward County

What are your top 3?

Currently mine are:

1. Le Tub, Hollywood
2. Charm City Burger Co., Deerfield
3. Jack's, Fort Lauderdale

This list is fluid and I reserve the right to change it at any time.

Jimmy Johns Subs Shop, 8/17

Let me start off by saying I don't really care for chain sub shops like this, but people seem to like this place so I figured I'd give it a try. After eating here I remembered exactly why I don't like chain sub shops. The sandwich had what seemed like 2 slices of meat and the toppings were limited and also not plentiful. I was still hungry after eating the 8" sandwich and I had to run to the convienance store across the street to grab a banana to get over my hunger. The sandwich wasn't terrible, but as you will find out if you continue to read my posts, I hate mediocrity in food and Jimmy Johns just screams mediocrity. 4.0 out of 10 .