Jaxson's Ice cream Parlor a SOFLA tradition ... but

Jaxson's Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant

128 S. Federal Hwy.

Dania, FL 

954-923-4445

http://www.jaxsonsicecream.com/

By Jane Feehan

It’s been years and years since I last visited the iconic Jaxson’s Ice Cream Parlor and Restaurant. When I heard on national news that their ice cream truck was stolen (and not found as of this writing), I returned.

South Florida fans of Jaxson’s (open since 1956) are a dedicated bunch so what I’m about to say may sound, well … almost blasphemous. Gone was the ice cream parlor ambiance; it was replaced with a roadside tourist trap look with its hanging license plates, silly road signs, a gift shop with barrels of candy, and most telling of all – an automated gypsy fortune teller in a box. This is the stuff of boardwalk amusements and joints between New York and Florida off I-95 beckoning travelers with a host of silly reasons. (For a mere buck, the gypsy spewed out a card that read  I am about to meet a blonde Pisces; I hope it’s a guy.)

That fortune was better than the lunch. A hot chicken sandwich with peppers and onions, though plentiful was just so so. A bar-b-que pork sandwich was tough. We ordered onion rings. Ordinary and obviously out of a freezer bag. We should have skipped sandwiches and ordered sundaes. Watching our waist lines, we bypassed the jumbo ice cream creations ($10 and up) and settled for a bowl each though that is what people love this place for – the humongous sundaes and spectacular toppings.

 It could be said that Jaxson’s excels in presenting ordinary food in extraordinary ways. Onion rings were

delivered on a miniature wire airplane with sides of dip. Even a scoop of ice cream ($6.75) arrives with flair. Ice cream is house made, they say, and there are loads of flavors, but it’s not particularly good. I prefer more butterfat …

With all that said, Jaxon’s is a fun place; kids, even adult ones, enjoy it. A takeout window is available if you’re in a hurry and not interested in the indoor hype. Part of the South Florida experience, Jaxson’s is also a piece of its history. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved. Jane Feehan.

Tags: Ice cream parlor, South Florida restaurants, giant sundaes,

Tipico Café - a well-earned reputation in Fort Lauderdale

Tipico Café

1910 East Sunrise Blvd.

Gateway Shopping Center

Fort Lauderdale, FL

954-463-9945

Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-  10 p.m.

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.

Sunday: 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.

By Jane Feehan

The wood floors and partially paneled walls of Tipico Café transported me for a few moments to another place - perhaps Magazine Street in New Orleans or along lower Westheimer in Houston where one may encounter an individually-owned, quaint dining gem. Tucked away in the Gateway Shopping Center, Tipico Café has grown in reputation over the past 11 years with its flavorsome traditional Mexican and Spanish American dishes.

Portions are not huge, but meals are ample. Lunches average $9 and that includes a soft drink or iced tea. Their menu offers pork, chicken or beef dishes, and Mexican combos of enchiladas, tacos, and burritos.

 For Tex-Mex lovers, a few combos include a chile relleno.  For those with American tastes, Philly cheese steak sandwiches and burgers are available. A basket of tortilla chips with sauce greets customers at each table.

The dinner menu, with entrées from $11 to $14, features an array of Spanish favorites,  seafood, empanizados  (thin strips of pounded steak), pollo a la plancha (chicken with onions), costillas de puerco (pork chops) and more. Salads as starters or meals are served as well as vegetarian dishes, and some tasty side orders of guacamole, and plantains are available.

Tipico Café sells beer, wine, and sangria at reasonable prices. It’s casual, the service is very good and this eatery provides a welcome departure from the large, corporate entities serving similar food.

Tags: Spanish-American dining, Fort Lauderdale Tex-Mex, casual Mexican food in Fort Lauderdale, casual Spanish-American food in Fort Lauderdale

Old School Bakery Café: baking as art in Delray Beach

Old School Bakery and Café

814 E. Atlantic Ave.

Delray Beach, Florida  33483

561-243-8059

Old School Bakery - Wholesale at 45 N. Congress Ave, Delray (561-276-0013)

http://www.oldschoolbakery.com

By Jane Feehan

It’s hard to think of grocery store bread as the staff of life it once was. With chemical preservatives, and nutritive value processed into oblivion, modern day bread seems little more than an envelope to keep sandwich fixings together. Here and there, however, throughout the country, some food artisans diligently bake to restore bread’s old reputation as a meal mainstay – and a work of culinary art. In Delray Beach there’s one such place, Old School Bakery.

European-trained baker Billy Himmelrich and his team are wowing retail and wholesale customers (including nearby Deck 84) with a scrumptious lineup of baguettes, sourdough loaves, bread crisps, Focaccia bread, raisin walnut dinner rolls and more. When I stopped in at the café on St. Patrick’s Day, an empty, flour-brushed shelf marked the spot where Irish soda bread had sold out.

Sandwiches and soups, pastries and cookies are also available at the café, making it a great spot for a continental breakfast or light lunch. Old School bakes up some of the best rugelach I’ve had in South Florida – light, flaky, and loaded with flavor The menu, written on a board, is limited to a few sandwiches and soups but I’ve never been disappointed. There’s only a table or two inside but more outside on a covered patio. There’s definitely a European look and feel to the Old School Bakery Café.

The wholesale arm of Old School Bakery, open 365 days a year, operates on North Congress Avenue in Delray. This baker's growing list of commercial patrons includes those who know good bread is the opening act or mainstay of a memorable meal. 

Tags: Delray Beach café, East Atlantic café, Delray Beach bakery, best bakery in Delray, dining in Delray, breakfast in Delray, Delray breads

Casablanca Café - moon light, love songs, not food - Fort Lauderdale

Casablanca Café

3049 Alhambra Street

Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33304

954-764-3500

Open seven days, lunch and dinner

Happy hour Monday-Saturday: 4-7 p.m.

http://www.casablancacafeonline.com

Use search box at right to find other "Fort Lauderdale" restaurants

For some history about the building, see: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2011/07/florida-history-fort-lauderdales-1920s.html

By Jane Feehan

  

Casablanca Café occupies a restored house built in the 1920s. Sitting on the patio, one can appreciate the view early occupants had without busy A1A (Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard). It still has a great view of the ocean, especially from a second floor porch, but vehicular traffic is an interloper.

That said, Casablanca is a good place to go for drinks or a meal, as long as expectations are lowered; above all, this is a tourist spot. I’ve eaten dinner and lunch here a few times and have always left underwhelmed. Luncheon salad entrées tend to be a safe bet; they’re ample and tasty. House made hummus is above average quality and they serve lamb sandwiches, a rarity. Pick your pleasure from standard choices of burgers, seafood and pasta but I don’t recommend a chicken salad sandwich. It’s drippy and served on what seems to be an oversized hotdog roll. Dinner is also hit and miss. Most of the fish is frozen, but the menu is appetizing and they do an adequate job pulling ingredients together. With beef, chicken, pork, lamb and pasta choices, there is bound to be something pleasing.

View from Casablanca

My suggestion is to visit Casablanca for happy hour, eat from the bar menu, enjoy the view, the piano or other live music that plays Wednesday-Saturday (check times). Or stop by for an after dinner drink and music. Most of the seating in Casablanca Café is open air, which in the hot and humid summer can be a drawback.

Proprietor Peter Beck also owns the popular H20 Café down the street and the Aruba Beach Café in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. His knack for blending food, entertainment and above all, a beach view, has been a winning business formula for years. Service: Good. Parking is available in a dedicated lot west of the restaurant on Alhambra ($4). Dress is casual.

Tags: Fort Lauderdale beach dining, Fort Lauderdale waterfront dining, Fort Lauderdale live music, Fort Lauderdale restaurants

Breakfast and brunch in the Jupiter and Juno Beach areas

Below are some popular breakfast spots in Hobe Sound, Tequesta, Jupiter and Juno Beach.  A few serve Sunday brunch.  Some are linked to reviews or are listed with comments. Most of these restaurants are crowded on weekends, especially during the winter season. To find reviews of additional restaurants, enter zip code in search box at right. For waterfront restaurants in Jupiter, see: http://tinyurl.com/8gagqpw.

Berry Fresh Cafe
3755 Military Trail
Jupiter
7 am - 3 pm
561-401-5693

Flamingo Cafe - 561-622-9781
2588 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens

Cathy’s Beach Connection   See review

Beach Plaza

12850 US Highway 1

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

Monday-Saturday: 8-11 a.m.; Sunday:  8-11:30 a.m.

561-626-2262

Center Street Nook - 561-745-7477
223 Center Street, Jupiter
7 am.- 9 pm - Hours vary - call to confirm

Corner Café and Brewery  See review

289 North US Highway One

Tequesta, Florida 33469

Breakfast seven days, 7:30 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

561-743-7619

www.cornercafeandbrewery.com

Gallery Grille    See review

383 Tequesta Drive

Tequesta, Florida 33469

Monday-Saturday, 7-11 a.m., Sunday brunch 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

561-427-8919

www.gallerygrille.com

Time to Eat Diner 561-744-9768
716 US Hwy 1, Tequesta
https://www.facebook.com/timetoeatflorida?rf=545752418801242

Guanabanas    See review

Jupiter, Florida 33477

Breakfast: Friday, Saturday, Sunday, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

561-747-8878          

www.guanabanas.com

Harry’s and the Natives    See review

US 1 and Bridge Road (west side of US 1)

Tuesday-Saturday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.   Sunday – breakfast only: 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

772-546-3061

www.harrysandthenatives.com

Hurricane Café        See review

14050 US Hwy 1 (closest cross street: Donald Ross Road)

Juno Beach, FL

Monday-Saturday 7-11 a.m. (with early bird 8-9 a.m. for $4.75). Extended weekend breakfast hours

Sunday brunch: 7 a.m.-1:30

www.hurricanecafe.com

877-775-2559

Jim’s Place (Standard fare, quick service, no credit cards)

901 Indiantown Road

Jupiter, Florida 33458

Monday-Friday,  6 a.m.  -  1:30 p.m.

Saturday, 6 a.m. - noon, Sunday, 7 a.m.-noon
561-746-6216

Juno Beach Café  (Huge, Paul Bunyan-sized portions, crowded on weekends, good menu)

13967 US Highway One

Juno Beach, Florida 33408

Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday, 7 a.m. – 2 p.m.

www.junobeachcafe.com

561-622-1533

Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa    See review

5 North A1A

Jupiter, Florida 33477

Sinclairs Ocean Grill

7 -11 a.m. daily

Sunday brunch, 7 a.m. -12 noon

561-746-2511

866-943-0950

www.jupiterbeachresort.com

Lazy Loggerhead Café - review at: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2012/01/dukes-lazy-loggerhead-cafe-good-food.html

401 North A1A (Carlin Park)

Jupiter, Florida 33458

Seven Days, 8 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

561-747-2952

Old Dixie Café

300 N. Old Dixie Highway, Suite 101

Jupiter, Florida 33458

Seven days, 4:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

561-747-1134

Royal Cafe- Diner style - no credit cards
75 E. Indiantown Rd. Jupiter 33477
Opens daily at 6:30 a.m.
royalcafejupiter.com
561-747-7426

Suzy Q's Home Town Diner - 561-822-3744
225 Chimney Corner Lane, Jupiter
561-822-3744
7 a.m. - 2 p.m. - Hours vary by day, call to confirm

Tags: Best breakfast restaurants in Jupiter, best brunch in Jupiter, best breakfast in Juno, Breakfast in Hobe Sound, best breakfast in Tequesta, restaurants in Jupiter

Thanksgiving takeout and dining ideas in Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter area

For those who don’t have Thanksgiving plans, some of the following places are offering complete take-out turkey dinners; others are serving Thanksgiving dinner.  Check for cut-off dates for orders and reservations.

Thanksgiving takeout dinners

Carmines Gourmet Market

2401 PGA Blvd.

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

561-775-0105

www.carmines.com

Joseph's Classic Market

4409 Northlake Blvd.

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida

561-799-0322

www.josephsclassicmarket.com

Toojay’s

Jupiter – The Bluffs -561-627-5555

Palm Beach Gardens – Downtown at the Gardens – 561-622-8131

Check website for other locations

www.toojays.com


Whole Foods Market
11701 Lake Victoria Gardens Ave.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
561-691-8530
www.wholefoodsmarket.com/stores/palmbeachgardens


Publix Markets

Check your neighborhood location and telephone

www.publix.com

Winn Dixie

Check your neighborhood locatiom

www.winndixie.com

  

Restaurants serving Thanksgiving Dinner

Casa Mia
337 E. Indian Town Rd.
Jupiter, FL 33477
561-972-6888
http://www.casamiajupiter.com/contact.html

Four Seasons of Palm Beach - 3-9 p.m.

2800 South Ocean Blvd.
Palm Beach, FL 33480
561-582-2800

Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa

Ballroom – Buffet : 11:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Sinclair’s Terrace and Sandbar – Thanksgiving dinner off the menu: 2-8 p.m. Pets welcome outdoors on the terrace

5 North A1A

Jupiter, Florida 33477

561-746-2511

866-943-0950

Jane's Bits reviewed Jupiter Beach Resort and Spa here

III Forks Steakhouse and Seafood - Check hours for Thanksgiving
4645 PGA Blvd.
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida -
561-630-3660

Ritz Carlton of Palm Beach - Several venues - call for dining room and hours CLOSED - NOW OPERATING AS: Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa

Preferred Hotel Group 

100 S. Ocean Blvd.

Manalapan, FL 33462
561-533-600

Waterway Café – Serving Thanksgiving Dinner - call for hours

2300 PGA Blvd.

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410

561-694-1700

Jane's Bits reviewed Waterway Café here.

Kid-friendly Thanksgiving dinner


Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza (yes, they are serving turkey dinner for $15.95, for kids 12 and younger, $8.95) - Call for hours
4575 Military Trail
Jupiter, Florida
561-340-3930


Tags: Thanksgiving dinner Jupiter, Thanksgiving dinner Palm Beach Gardens, Thanksgiving dinner Palm Beach, Thanksgiving 2011

Kevin's Dockside Deli: A nautical, kosher-style mix in Palm Beach Gardens

Kevin’s Dockside Deli        CLOSED

2401 PGA Blvd. (Harbor Financial Plaza)

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida 33410

561-694-7945

Monday-Saturday: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday: 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

For more Jewish deli's see: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2010/09/kosher-deli-restaurants-in-palm-beach.html

By Jane Feehan

There’s a little piece of New York City in Palm Beach Gardens; it’s Kevin’s Dockside Deli. Open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch, Kevin’s dishes up the requisite specialties of a deli: hot corned beef or pastrami, whitefish salad, kosher hotdogs, chopped liver, house made rice pudding, soups and lots more.

Sandwiches and salad platters are oversized and delicious with side orders that match in quality. Breakfast features eggs and omelets, lox, French toast and bagels. Kevin Dennis and family know deli; they owned one in New York before moving to Florida to open Pomperdales in Fort Lauderdale. The family sold the popular deli and eventually moved to Palm Beach County.

Kevin's location (with nautical décor), provides an extra perk not found at a NYC deli: a beautiful dockside view of yachts. They specialize in buffet catering and - no surprise here - yacht provisions. Self service, pleasant atmosphere with a family touch. ©2010 Jane Feehan.  All rights reserved.

For other delis in Palm Beach Gardens, check this blog at: http://janesbits.blogspot.com/2010/09/kosher-deli-restaurants-in-palm-beach.html

Tags: Palm Beach Gardens, Jewish deli, Florida, yacht provisions, breakfast, lunch, kosher-style