Dining Finds: Thick & Thin Restaurant & Pizzeria / Bella Monte Italian-American Delicatessen

May 8, 2008

Thick & Thin Restaurant & Pizzeria, Boca Raton

Address: 23062 Sandalfoot Plaza Drive (Sandalfoot Square)>

Phone/Web:

561-482-7020/ thickandthinpizza.com

Type of food: Italian

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and

Saturday

Dining facility: Here since 1979, the full-service eatery's cheerful facade features red-and-white checkered curtains. Inside, there's wood paneling, green plants and Tiffany-style hanging lights.

Service: Precise and to the point.

Delivery: After 5 p.m. with a $10 minimum order and a $1 delivery fee within a three-mile radius.

The Dish

Browsing the lunch menu, we quickly discover the meaning behind the eatery's name. They offer regular thin slices ($1.90 each). But you can opt for thick, like we did, getting a large slice of Sicilian pie ($2.15).

The huge square, on a paper plate tucked inside a white paper bag, is still hot after the long car trip home. One bite and our taste buds detect a touch of oregano that adds a distinctive flavor and mingles well with the generous topping of cheese.

We also order sausage and green peppers ($6.95 lunch, $10.95 dinner) that come packed to the brim in an aluminum tin with a small side of spaghetti. We get our money's worth for the lunch entree that includes three small garlic rolls wrapped in foil.

Although the marinara sauce is bland, we enjoy the sweet-tasting sausage chunks. The meat and peppers are plentiful and cooked just right.

— Beth Feinstein-Bartl

Bella Monte Italian-American Delicatessen, Pompano Beach

Address: 2688 E. Atlantic Blvd.

Phone: 954-946-0333

Type of food: Soups, salads, sandwiches, entrees, groceries

Hours: 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday