"Must" Restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale Part 2

EMERALD COAST--one of the most elaborate buffet dinners you can ever have--aside from every Chinese dish you can think of and sushi of every stripe they have all sorts of fresh shellfish, steaks, prime ribs, salads PLUS a 'chocolate fountain' which you can dip all sorts of fresh fruit.

LESTERS--just a good old fashioned diner serving all sorts of good 'comfort' food and cakes (including carrot cake!) a mile high. Unfortunately they just redecorated and made it too modern, too shiny--took away the individual 'jukeboxes' on each table but they didn't change the food--a huge menu plus a lot of Greek specialties.

BIG LOUIE'S--a neighborhood pizza/Italian joint--disclosure--I worked there for a few years and is one of the very few restaurants I have ever returned to to eat as a customer on a regular basis--they had been closed for 6 months due to a car crashing into the entrance and redecorated making it a little too upscale with lousy acoustics but still great--best pizza in town--best garlic rolls you'll find anywhere and blu cheese dressing with real large lumps of cheese--portions overflow the plate and most people (not me!) can't finish their order (could be because of too many garlic rolls!)

THE CHEESECAKE FACTORY--I am not big on chain restaurants but this is great--98 kinds of cheesecake (I've tried them all!) all delicious, especially their Godiva Chocolate cheesecake--over 200 items to choose from (I'm probably have tried up to 170 by now)--huge, good tasting, moderately priced items from salads to sandwiches to pasta to chicken, shrimp and/or beef main courses.

KILIWIN'S HOMEMADE ICE CREAM AND CANDY STORE--though not a restaurant per se it is s a must go to store--you gain 5 pounds just from the aroma and another 10 from the items--always changing ice cream flavors--you have a choice of plain waffle cones and/ or cups and/or chocolate covered cones/cups in dark or milk chocolate.

All the above are diamonds in a city where 2,000 new restaurants open every year and 2,500 close--the ones mentioned have been around for at least 15-20 years and maintain their high standards.