Category: Restaurants

We visited Brendy’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Cafe. It is in Yamato Village Center on Yamato Road just west of Lyons. The plaza entrance is actually on Lakeridge.
It certainly looks the part.

One note is that there’s a sign on the window indicating it’s certified as Kosher.
There are plenty of choices, roughly triple what you see in the photo below.

There’s good stuff for kids. They gave theirs thumbs up.

And for adults, also reported good by those not on a diet.

There are even four “low carb” options that are advertised as 9 calories per ounce. I tried the butterscotch and it was surprisingly good.

But I did not eat all of it.
It’s hard to screw up ice cream and Brendy’s did not. Nice place. I’m sure we will be back.
For premium ice cream, not on a diet, Coldstone Creamery in Central Boca is better. But Brendy’s has a wide variety of choices, and it’s about the only ice cream place in West Boca.

This is a quick review of our local Outback Steakhouse. It is in the Boca Greens plaza on 441 between Glades and Yamato.
We came with a few kids. The kid menu was fun and they all found something to eat – and liked what they ordered.
The grown ups had filets, which were pretty good. Half of my steak was partly undercooked. Half was right – medium and tasty. The other half was rare. I pointed this out to the server who saw it, agreed, and did nothing to make up for it.
It came with grilled shrimp that were small and boring. If you’re serving a filet the shrimp with it should not be tiny. The vegetables were good – a nice variety with large broccolis.
The other adult liked her filet -with mushroom sauce- better and had excellent mashed potatoes. The meat was cooked perfectly as ordered.
I also had a creamy onion soup which was quite good if you like it peppery (I do). Outback also has outstanding bread (dark and sweet) before the meal with whipped butter.
The restaurant was busy but not crazy, though parking was a slight challenge. Service was not spectacular – perhaps because they were so busy. Servers did not show up to the table as often as needed. They were helpful once they were within reach.
It was also noticeably cold inside, colder than the typically cold restaurants here. Looking around, the customers all seem happy.
This was our first visit. I’m sure we will be back.

We took a trip tonight to South Central … South Central Boca that is. Carrabba’s Italian Grill, a chain restaurant, is in a plaza on the northeast corner of 18th and Powerline.
The interior was dark but pleasant. Maybe the black ceiling makes it seem dark.

Our table had a good view of the kitchen.

They have an 8-page kids menu with several activities that our kids liked. The kid dishes are $6.50 including a drink. Most entrees include soup or salad. One of us had the Minestrone which was hearty with a variety of vegetables.

I had the Johnny Rocco Salad, which is one of the healthiest choices with shrimp and scallops over greens with a bit of cheese. It was good today but the grilled items were a little overcooked. I’ve had it a few times before and it was better. That might have been $15.

We also had the Italian Classics which includes lasagne, chicken parm and choice of asparagus, potatoes or pasta. The chicken and the pasta were both very good and the lasagne was not as great but more than adequate. It was $16.50.

Nice desserts too. This is the Limoncello Bread Pudding. The full desserts are $8. They also have a smaller dessert option served in a shot glass.

Good food at mostly reasonable prices with the most fun kids menu we’ve ever seen.
I should also mention they have some outdoor seating with a lake view. But beware the pesky ducks on the terrace outside – and don’t feed them.

We had mixed views on Utopia Bagel this morning. On the up side, the food was good (though not spectacular) and inexpensive. You could easily get breakfast for less than $5 each, though we spent a little more.
On the down side, the interior is dark and drab. Service is essentially cafeteria style, with plastic and styrofoam cups and plates.
We both had eggs. I had a ham, sausage and bacon omelette with peppers and onions, which was very good. It should probably come with a free Lipitor, but instead it comes with potatoes, a bagel, a very small orange juice, and coffee or tea.
The potatoes were okay but bland. There was little seasoning and I didnt notice any onions or peppers.
For my breakfast buddy, the drabness outweighed everything else. But I still liked it. I’m sure I’ll be back but I might be alone.
Utopia Bagel is in Boca Lyons Plaza next to Ethan Allen.
–Update– I do in fact return somewhat often, alone. The food has grown on me and the staff are great.