The Plate: Apple & Farro Salad, with arugula, dried cherries and pecans
The Place: Oceano Kitchen, 201 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana; www.oceanokitchen.com
The Price: $16 (cash only)
The Skinny: We came to love chef-owner Dak Kerprich for his quirky takes o
The Place: Café Frankie’s, 640 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach; 732-3834 or www.cafefrankies.com
The Price: $9 at lunch
The Skinny: I initially didn’t want to use this photo with my review — it looked gloppy, I told my editor.
Then I looked again and reali
The Plate: Blueberry pancakes
The Place: John G’s, Plaza del Mar, 264 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan; 585-9860 or www.johngs.com.
The Price: $6.85 (cash only)
The Skinny: I love John G’s. The gazpacho is some of the best anywhere, served on ice with elabo
The Plate: Chicken box with fries
The Place: Troy’s Barbeque, 1920 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach; 740-1125 or www.bbqtroys.com.
The Price: $8.59
The Skinny: I always loved the food from Troy’s Barbeque, going back to the days Troy Davis had a takeou
The Plate: Risotto Fritters
The Place: Banyan Restaurant and Bar, 189 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach; 563-8871 or www.banyandelray.com.
The Price: $6 from 4 to 7 p.m. daily at the bar and high-tops; $10 on a regular menu.
The Skinny: Our happy hour gang h
The Place: Junior’s, Mizner Park, 409 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 672-7301 or www.juniorscheesecake.com.
The Price: $15.95
The Skinny: The original Junior’s opened in 1950 in Brooklyn and was known for its cheesecake.
We tried the cheesecake but found it t
The Plate: Pizza
The Place: Josie’s Ristorante, 1602 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach; 354-9601 or www.josiesristorante.com
The Price: $14.50 for a large, plus $2.10 per topping
The Skinny: I remember when Josie’s essentially was a hole in the wall
The Plate: Station House Chicken Sandwich
The Place: Whistle Stop Tavern, 224 N. Third St., Lantana; 670-2003.
The Price: $9.95
The Skinny: John and Jerry Broz know food. Anyone who has been in the area any length of time probably has dined on food prep
The Plate: Chicken vindaloo
The Place: Flavor of India, 1516 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth; 582-8600.
The Price: $14.95
The Skinny: Long ago, a friend of mine who does not care much for spice ordered chicken vindaloo. He later described the experience as
The Place: Pig-Sty BBQ, 706 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach; 810-5801.
The Price: $6.99
The Skinny: When it comes to barbecue, my favorite fare is smoked turkey.
When it’s prepared properly, the results are sublime.
At Pig-Sty, pit master Bryan Ty
The Plate: Bahamian Conch Chowder
The Place: Granger’s Grille, 802 SE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach; 276-7881 or www.grangersgrille.com.
The Price: $5
The skinny: This month’s Plate actually is a bowl.
Well, it’s a cup, if you’re going to get technical.
But
The plate: Chicken and rib combo
The place: Smoke, 8 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 330-4236 or www.eatbbqnow.com.
The price: $22.99
The skinny: The chicken on this combo platter was among the best I’ve tasted anywhere. Tender, juicy barbecued chicken
The plate: Barbecue ribs
The place: Houston’s, 1900 NW Executive Center Circle, Boca Raton; 998-0550 or www.hillstone.com.
The price: $29
The skinny: Houston’s has been a go-to place for special occasions and for comfort fare for more than 20 years. Yes
The plate: Soft taco plate
The place: Uncle Julio’s, Mizner Park, 449 Plaza Real, Boca Raton; 300-3530 or www.unclejulios.com.
The price: $13.97
The skinny: The sun was shining and the breeze was blowing. It was a great day for sitting back and relaxin
The plate: Chicken souvlaki platter
The place: Souvlaki Fast, 305 E. Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach; 877-2441
The price: $10
The skinny: If I could give a restaurant kudos for the quantity of food it serves, Souvlaki Fast would win. But what good is qua
The Plate: Drunken shrimp
The Place: Heroes Sports Bar & Grill, 224 N. Third St., Lantana; 328-9909 or heroeslantana.com.
The Price: $14
The Skinny: I wasn’t sure what to expect from this appetizer, cooked in Heroes’ “signature sauce served with toast p
Menu items worth checking
from local restaurants
The Plate: Bimini Coconut Shrimp
The Place: Lantana Jack’s, 308 N. Dixie Highway, Lantana. Phone: 847-4158
The Price: $9.95
The Skinny: Think coconut shrimp, and think rich and over-battered.
But come to
By Scott Simmons, managing editor
When opportunity knocked, I hesitated. Agonized, even.
