Food: Nino's

My favorite Italian restaurant has long been Nino's, a modestly-sized place located in a strip mall in Boca Raton. No, it's not the best Italian food I've ever had (that prize goes to all the great eateries in Rome and Florence that I've visited), but it's a sentimental favorite. During the winter, when the snowbirds come down, the joint can get pretty crowded. We've waited as long as 45 minutes to get in. Why the crowds? Why the wait?

Just walking in, you wouldn't suspect the place was anything special. In fact, the decor looks a lot like every other pizzeria/Italian restaurant in every other strip mall. But there's that special bustle in a popular restaurant's kitchen, that urgency in all the server's movements, that speaks of a well-run operation.

The food? Well, for starters, the eggplant parmigiana at Nino's is the most ridiculous thing you've ever seen. It's a huge slab of eggplant, cooked till it's soft enough to cut with a fork, and covered with marinara and mozzarella. Again, it's not elegant, and perhaps not even really Italian, but it makes for great comfort food.

All the entrees are like this. The linguine with red clam sauce (my Mom's favorite) can feed two people, or one person with enough leftovers to make for a great breakfast the next day. The large deep dish pizza can easily feed an entire table, especially if you layer it with toppings. Best of all, the prices are relatively low ($~14 for most dinners, which includes rolls and a soup or salad).

For the longest time, Nino's had an additional sort of mystique - they didn't take credit cards (they do now). We speculated whether it was a laundering operation for some mobsters (there are probably a ton of retired Jersey gangsters in south Florida). In any case, before eating there, you'd have to pool all the cash everyone had on hand - sort of like appeasing that loan shark who just can't wait for his money.

3/4 stars (if you're in Boca and feeling the need to loosen your belt a few notches, this is the place)