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New York magazine July 10-23  

http://www.grubstreet.com/2017/07/best-cheap-eats-nyc-2017.html

 

As soon as I saw this article I was transported back to New York City in the 1960s and buying a book about eating in New York for $5 and under and working my way through the book.

One restaurant I definitely went to even before the book was ”Paddy’s Clam House – 215 West 34th Street – The lunch at this seafood favorite across from Penn Station changed daily, but it consisted of soup, an entrée and side dish, a dessert, and a beverage for $1.29.” When I joined Weight Watchers in 1967 this was one of the places I always went for fresh fish.

I remember a Spanish restaurant in New York where we were seated next to Barbra Streisand. We traveled all over the city eating in all sort of ethnic restaurants which I am sure don’t exist anymore.

In Fort Lauderdale, except for fast food places and even then, it is hard to buy a dinner for less than $25 or a lunch for less than $15 including a soft drink or coffee! (And that’s using a 2-4 1 coupon or a groupon.)

Heck it is hard enough to find a cola or coffee for less than $2.99-$3.50

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The Nabu American Fusion Buffet would be a 5 star restaurant if it wasn’t for some minor glitches, that could/should be fixed, noticed by someone in the business.
To start the staff greets you at the door , you are quickly seated, you order your drinks and off you go.
I didn’t count how many different items are offered by the cover the range from various fresh salads, hot soups, 3-4 different versions of shrimp, mussels both cold and in a seafood medley, tacos, noodles, Hibachi grill with beef, peppers and onions, lamb on a skewer, uncountable different variations of sushi not to mention more than a dozen desserts plus 6 different kinds of ice cream. It really seems like an never ending meal.
I won’t vouch for the sushi because I am not a sushi eater but most of the foods I did have were very good.
The glitches? As with most buffets a few of the dishes were not hot and the meat on the hibachi grill was beyond well done and dry. The servers were alert always refilling almost empty glasses and taking away dirty dishes but they should bring more napkins to the table plus fresh silverware every now and then.
The lunch buffet is $11.95 which is what we had and we can only imagine what the dinner buffet is like.
I will definitely be going back to try out the few sections I missed and might even give the sushi a try.
As the manager(?) said goodbye and added that he hoped to see us again soon I had no doubt he would–quite a few times!

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I have been going to Catfish Dewey’s for over 15 years but it had been awhile since I was there last. Robert wanted some catfish so there wasn’t any decision except to go there. I’ve always loved their all you can steamed shrimp so that’s what I ordered. The price of $20.50 is a ‘little’ higher then it was 15 years ago but it is still good. The all you can eat fried catfish has also gone up in price now being $16.50. The shrimp, though of a good size, seemed a little smaller but not that much different.

Both orders came with Cole slaw and a basket of hush puppies. You get a choice of fries, baked potato or rice pilaf.

We were having a late lunch, about 3 PM, so the place was on the quiet side. Andrew, our server, did a great job with refills of everything plus our drinks before we had to ask for any item. When we left–hey it IS all you can eat–about 2 hours later the place was filling up.

Walking into Catfish Dewey’s is like walking into yesterday with everyone the same, friendly as all get out, everything the same whether the furnishings or the food yet the former is clean and looks new and the food is good.

I really enjoyed the familiar feel good atmosphere and, of course, the shrimp.

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I should have followed my instincts after reading  about Midici–my immediate reaction was that it was another Flash Fire Pizza and/or Pizza Fusion and basically that was what it was! It may be bigger, brighter and newer but, unlike other reviewers I saw no hint of ‘full service available’ which I would have done because I am not into that new trend of in-between full service and fast food.

“Hooked us up with tons of delicious service'”? Not when I was there. “The Staff is super friendly”? They weren’t rude or anything but not even friendly though the cashier, who also brought our pies over, had a nice smile and did check back to see if we were doing okay.

Allen, who uses a cane, complained that the straws, soda machine, condiments, etc., were on the other side of the very long room and should either be placed on each side or in the center, though it isn’t designed that way. (Where is the full service when you need it?) He did love the tree growing in the dining room though he wasn’t sure if it was real even if it was planted in the ground. :O)

Let’s get down to the bottom line which is the pizza we ordered, both of us having the Margarita red marinara pizza ($7.50 each) and diet cokes ($2.50 each)

On a little card served on the plate with the pizza it said, “Our signature dough–light, thin, soft, chewy with a high airy crust’ was all that but, sorry, I like fat, heavy, chewy crust. Also I like a heavy sauce and cheese but was not aware that there wasn’t cheese on the regular pizza–my bad but… To me the pizza was more of an appetizer with drinks, if I was having beer or alcohol.

 At the first I thought the $7.50 was a reasonable  price but without cheese and a very, very cracker thin like crust along with the lightest of sauces I am not sure about that now.

Now don’t get me wrong as I am not saying Midici’s is ‘bad’ but it is just not for MY tastes.

By the way it does have one of the classiest men’s room I have seen in a long time!

In their favor I didn’t see a television though their music was a couple of beats too loud for an almost empty room.

PS I have received a few very nice comments from the manager Mike, not at all combative or defensive.

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While I was in the store food shopping I gave Allen my coupons–yes I am a coupon clipper and a groupon buyer so I can afford to eat out–and after he went through them he picked the one for 20% off at Miller’s Ale House because he wanted the Thursday special of Prime Rib. I had been here years ago when it first opened, thought it was okay and never gave it a second thought. Well today I changed my mind as everything was the way a restaurant should be with good food, excellent service, good portions and decent prices.

We both had the Prime Rib which was a 12 ounce slice (special price $13.99 minus $2.80 coupon) which was tender and cooked rare just as I wanted. It came with a baked potato, cole slaw and souffle cups of au jus, butter and sour cream. I had coffee ($1.49 minus $0.30) and Allen had a diet soda ($2.95 minus $0.59) with our check coming to $27.49 including $1.56 in tax and we left a $8 tip.

Our server–his name tag said Tim but the receipt says Harold–couldn’t have been better.

Now if we could get rid of the  20+ television sets! LOL

P.S. Parking is in the rear and with a rainy day like today with the entrance in the front you are going to get wet. The restaurant  is large enough that they could at least put in a side entrance so people wouldn’t come in dripping and with umbrellas dripping on the floor and some putting them on the seat near them leaving that wet.

Also very seldom will you get the coupon discount on a special and this was a dinner special at lunch time. I mentioned it to the waiter twice and he finally checked it out with the manager who said that it was okay–I don’t think it will work next time.

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I don’t know how many times or for how many years I have passed this stand alone building and always giving it a quick thought as I love eating wings but haven’t eaten them in a restaurant since I moved away from the west Davie Boulevard area.

Last week I got a coupon in the mail from Wilton Wings advertising 10 wings and curly fries for $10 and there was a coupon for buy one get one free burger or sandwich. The latter was important because Allen doesn’t like wings (for him it is ‘too much work’ LOL) so I could get the wings and he could get the sandwich.

Allen ordered the cheeseburger with fries (plus one to go) for $9.25 plus a diet Pepsi ($2.75) and said it was tasty as were the fries, which he is sort of an expert on the latter.

I had the wings and it being a full service restaurant there was no pressure to just order any sauce, especially with the variety they offer plus choice of ‘heat’. I decided on the medium heat garlic sauce and I was impressed with the presentation, particularly with the heavy garlic on the wet wings. They and the curly fries were delicious but because of the amount of the garlic on the wings I knew I would have to be careful talking close to someone but, oh, were they worth it!

With the coupon and the wing special plus tax and tip our check came to $33.31. Considering Allen had a burger to take home for dinner, $16 each for lunch was a more than fair price.

There is nothing fancy about Wilton Wings but it is clean, the service fine, plenty of free parking and I found a place for wings when I get the hankering which will probably be more often now that I finally stopped and gave them a try.

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Kitchen 420 is an average restaurant in the sense that there is nothing really wrong but there is nothing right enough to make you come back.

It is new, clean and a little quirky in decor and, in its favor, just one small TV! There was one server on the floor waiting on 5 parties and she could have used a hand but the cashier? manager? owner? was too busy talking to two ladies sitting at the counter, possibly interviewing them, maybe not and there were 3 employees–cooks, dishwasher?–but not a one took a moment to help the server (and that is all it would have taken) consequently, the service wasn’t as good as it could have been.

Allen had the triple pork sandwich ($16) which he felt wasn’t proportioned correctly for taste and to handle. He had a soda ($2.95) while I had coffee ($2.95) with my Cheeseburger ($14) which was just run of the mill. With tax and tip our check came to $46 for lunch.

Though most restaurant prices are growing higher and higher, $23 for lunch is a bit too much for me especially when the food is run of the mill.