elita k.

Donna's Restaurant

This place is always busy because the food is really good and fairly inexpensive for the quality and amount of food you get. All of the combo meals come with either white rice or rice and peas, plantains and grilled veggies. They make really good oxtail and brown stew chicken. They also serve breakfast if you are ever in the mood for ackee and saltfish. The place is quick, take-out style, although there are a few tables. They do take credit cards now as well. The service here isn't the best, but you're out of there pretty quickly and the food is delish.

Di Salvo's Plantation

My family and I used to really love DiSalvo's but the quality has definitely gone down lately. Their sauce tastes terrible, like it's Ragu right out of the can. I went there a few weeks ago and had chicken parmigiana and it tasted burnt. They make amazing garlic rolls, though. Their pizza used to be outstanding too, but my boyfriend went there a few weeks ago on his lunch break and had two slices and said they were terrible. We probably won't be back here any time soon.

gold coast seafood grill

I went to their new location in Plantation a couple days ago and it was absolutely delicious. I ordered a rainbow trout stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat that came in a lemon wine sauce and it was amazing. The portion was huge, enough for me to take half the fish and my veggies home for lunch the next day. The meals are pricey and this surprised me because it's smack in the middle of an old strip mall. I was really expecting something on the level of Shells or Red Lobster. We were extremely pleasantly surprised. This isn't really what I would call a family friendly place, although there are some kid-friendly items on the menu (hamburgers, fried shrimp, etc.) They make amazing martinis and during happy hour (5-7) they are 2-4-1. They also have a wine-pairing dinner once a month, price fixed. You get about 5-6 courses and each course comes with a glass of wine for $45 per person.

emerald coast

My boyfriend and I ate here on Saturday because we were in the mood for Asian food and he had been here before and liked it. For me personally, it was not worth the price. This place features an all-you-can-eat buffet (although you can order off of the regular menu) for $11.99 per person on the weekends. There was a variety of typical Chinese dishes (orange chicken, beef and broccoli, fried rice, pot stickers, dumplings, sweet and sour chicken, low mein, etc.), a couple Thai dishes, some sushi, a salad bar, soup, peel and eat shrimp, raw oysters and a dessert bar. It's definitely a lot of food, but most of it was just so-so. For $12 we could've gone to a nicer restaurant, ordered 1 meal each that was tasty and split a dessert. I wouldn't recommend it. The place was clean and it has a nice ambience, but it's overpriced for the quality of the food.

PROS: expensive
CONS: food sitting out

Ichiban Japanese Restaurant

In Japanese, Ichiban means "of the best quality." You've got to be very confident of your restaurant's quality to name it that and Ichiban does not disappoint! I had passed by this restaurant many times and the other day decided to try it because I love sushi. The restaurant is very cute, decorated to represent a traditional Japanese restaurant. There is even a section where you can sit and eat on the floor if you'd like. We started off with the sunomono with conch, which was very fresh and marinating in a savory vinegar sauce. We also had the shrimp tempura, which was lightly battered and not greasy. I'd also highly recommend the spicy salmon roll and the Elain roll, which is topped with eel sauce and tempura flakes. I can't wait to go back and try the other creative rolls at this restaurant!

Oriente

I tried this restaurant because of the price-fixe "Miami Spice" restaurant month special. The food here is absolutely amazing and I will definitely be back. The presentation of the food rivels the elegant decor of the restaurant. The food is a fusion of Asian and Cuban influences, and many dishes can be prepared either Asian or Cuban style. The skirt steak was cooked to perfection and delicious served with rice and beans and plantains. The reason to come here and to continue coming back is for the calamari appetizer: lightly fried and served in a spicy sweet chile sauce. Delish! Drinks are expensive, so forgoe them to keep the price of your bill down.

PROS: decor, excellent food, location (directly on South Beach)
CONS: overpriced drinks

Bair Middle School

I went to Bair Middle School many years ago. Back then it was a decent school. It is currently rated as a B school according to its FCAT scores and has been for the last 4 years now, so that is really saying something in this day and age! The neighborhood Bair is located in is still great. Very safe, lots of middle class families, mixed ethnically. I would definitely feel safe and positively about sending my child to school here.

Horizon Elementary School

I attended Horizon Elementary many moons ago and since then it has managed to stay an A school. There has always been an amazing principal there and now Mrs. Nora Chiet is no different. My two nieces attend Horizon now and I could not be more thrilled with their progress and the amount of individual attention they receive. The librarian at the school has kids involved in reading programs (they get coupons for free pizzas for every book they read and other incentives). The school is also up-to-date when it comes to computers and technology. The school is in a great neighborhood and doesn't have high turnover when it comes to the teaching staff, a testament to a wonderful principal!

American Reading Svc & School

If you are lucky enough to be able to afford to send your child to private school, there is no place better in Broward County than American Heritage. This place truly takes education seriously. They hire the cream of the crop when it comes to teachers and other educators. They have a world-class library and provide excellent resources for their students. These students are enthusiastic about learning and are some of the brightest in the county. The school is K-12 and also offers a great summer camp as well as summer school. They can't be beat when it comes to technology either. The school provides the best and the latest in software and computers.

Park East Animal Hospital

My puppy was about 2 and I took him to my local vet because his stomach was acting up. She took X-Rays and freaked out, telling me my dog had something sharp in his stomach that looked like it was about to cut him up inside and I needed to take him immediately to the emergency clinic and he would probably need surgery. Needless to say I was extremely upset. So I took my dog to Park East which is open 24 hours and a young, sweet vet saw my dog. He was incredibly gentle and kind and assured me that everything was fine with my dog and that he did NOT need surgery and that it looked like whatever was stuck in his stomach would pass in a day or two. He was right (it was a piece of a pen cap).

PROS: expert vets, kind, quick service
CONS: expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!