A little South Florida nostalgia

I have to pinch my myself time and time again at how lucky I am to live 25 minutes outside of New York City. I really can't think of anything that I want food-wise that the city and its surrounding areas don't have to offer: Gooey, thin-crust pizza? Check! Fresh Chinese take-out on every corner? Check! Great little Italian restaurants with homemade pasta? Check!

BUT...as much as I love this city and living back up in the northeast again, I will always be a South Florida gal at heart. I grew up proudly wearing flip-flops all year round and the beach, palm trees and even hurricanes were just a way of life.

And so even though I'm loving New Jersey, a little part of me is excited that my daughter and I will be heading to Fort Lauderdale in a few weeks for a short trip. You can bet that we'll be visiting these 3 great restaurants while in town. They might not be as trendy, or even as inventive as the places here in NYC, but to me, they will always feel like home.

Jimmy the Greek 8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton

I've written about this Greek gem before and it's worth another mention. This take-out or eat-in restaurant is family run and you feel like you're a part of the bunch whether enjoying a lengthy meal in their newly expanded dining room or taking out some delicious eats for lunch. My husband and I both worked in the west Boca area and we'd often bump into each other getting lunch to go on any given day! The falafel sandwich stuffed to the brim with huge fried chickpea balls and fresh veggies with a side of thick-cut olive oil fries is my favorite. The gyros are supposedly some of the best in South Florida and both my dad, my hubby and a good friend have given them a thumbs up. Do not leave without getting a side of Tzatziki - this super garlicy cucumber yogurt sauce is absolutely scrumptious and you can dump it on everything from their pita sandwiches to the Greek salads.

Matteo's  233 South Federal Highway, Boca Raton

I've grown up going to Matteo's ever since I can remember, ordering Shirley Temple "cocktails" before I Introducing my daughter to Matteo'scould drink a glass of red wine along with my dad and stepmom. This old-school Italian joint never fails. The family-style Italian-American fare is always consistently satisfying and Matteo's also keeps things interesting by offering inventive nightly specials that highlight the fresh seafood that's readily available in South Florida. The place has a decidedly "Boca" feel to it - retired couples dining out in Polo shirts after a day on the golf course mixed in with families and small children and even 20-somethings out for a romantic dinner. I always order the exact same meal, partly because it's delicious and partly because it's my idea of the ultimate comfort food. Every single person in family (my husband now included!) orders the Matteo's chopped Italian salad to start, which is simply a classic mix of lettuce, tomatoes, and some chickpeas chopped finely and tossed in a red wine vinaigrette. For the main course I get the baked ziti which comes to the table bubbling hot and cheesy, with a side of their "burnt" broccoli. Don't be turned off by the name - they take whole stalks of broccoli and quickly char them under the broiler until they are brown and crispy on top. The burnt broccoli alone is worth the visit!

 Madras Cafe 1434 Powerline Road, Pompano Beach

 Photo courtesy of www.buzzintown.com My husband and I have a slight obsession with Indian food. I'm a longtime vegetarian and my husband only eats the occasional piece of fish and when we chow down on Indian cuisine, the spices and flavors are so robust, we don't even think about meat. We only discovered this cozy little place about a month before we moved to New Jersey when we had a festive dinner to celebrate my birthday. The staff was friendly, welcoming and immediately pulled up a high chair for our daughter. The Chana Masala (chickpeas in a tomato & onion sauce) was absolutely perfect and the best part of the meal was the Maharaja Bread Basket that came with half a dozen different kinds of warm Nan for us to sample - heaven! I can't wait to go back and try out another dish.

***The restaurants in this article are all part of the Priority Club Rewards Dining program

Comments

[Lynn Seldon]

These are some nicely nostalgic South Florida choices...thanks for sharing!