There are few things I like to admit. Walking into The Floridian Diner for the first time in the 16 years I’ve been in Florida is one of them.

Don’t judge me. I don’t get out much. But since I was in the downtown Fort Lauderdale area, it was pointless for me to walk into a Denny’s or IHOP on a Sunday afternoon when I could walk into a legend.

Upon entrance, the Floridian reminded me Barry Manilow – extremely cheesy but somewhat enticing. Photos of random celebrities – including a candid Gov. Charlie Crist – cluttered the walls that are random reds, yellows, and other bright colors Martha Stewart decorators wouldn’t approve of. I’m not quite sure about the rest of the patrons, but I was in love.

It’s hard not to love something as real as the Floridian. It’s got nearly 63 years of character built up inside of it. It’s open every single day of the year, which is quite fitting for downtown Fort Lauderdale, where even bums need a place to people watch when the drunk GTL’ers have dispersed.

I think I’m so impressed by the place because South Florida isn’t known for bad-ass diners. Pretty beaches, palm trees, fist pumpers? Yes. But diner food? Not quite. I wasn’t trying to sober up from a night on the town. I wasn’t an out-of-towner who heard about the place from a Food Network show. I was just some girl who walked in as a stranger and walked out a fan.

I ordered the bacon eggs benedict and left not only full and happy, but content knowing that I wouldn’t waste another 16 years missing out.

There are very few days during the year that I celebrate as actual holidays. The Super Bowl – an unofficial national holiday – is something I get practically giddy about. It’s almost like my Christmas.

Luckily, I’m not alone in my enthusiasm. South Florida Dunkin’ Donuts – who are no stranger to promoting coffee and pastries through football – have gotten into the Super Bowl spirit by offering specialty donuts all week long for the big game on Sunday, Feb. 7.

At most – if not the strong majority – of South Florida DD locations are football-themed donuts supporting each participating team. For the Indianapolis Colts, it will be an old-fashioned donut with vanilla frosting and blue sprinkles. For the New Orleans Saints, there will be a maple-frosted donut with black marble. Also is a Boston Kreme-filled football.

The special – $9.99 for two dozen donuts – started on Monday and runs through Super Bowl on Sunday, which saves you more than $5 on a normal two dozen order.

For more information, tweeps can follow South Florida Dunkin’ Donuts for constant specials and updates.

Now solidified in Deerfield Beach culture, I have discovered the secret to Charm City Burger Company’s amazing chocolate milkshake: U-Bet chocolate syrup.

I say that only because I grew up on U-bet. Hershey’s chocolate syrup is all well and good, but my Mommy taught me right: U-bet chocolate. Or bust.

Well maybe my Mom never said “or bust,” but it still leads me to believe the guys over at Charm City got the memo my Mom sent out. Charm City has nearly a dozen different milkshakes on a daily basis, including seasonal caramel apple pie and pumpkin spice. Everyday favorites like Cinnabon and cookies ‘n cream. They’ve even got Peanut Butter and Jelly. They mix shakes with the best ice cream in town (or ever, you decide), Blue Bell. The best way to end my Charm City experience is with a classic chocolate milkshake.

After almost a year of wooing me into their burger and milkshake decadence, I’m glad that I have discovered their not-so-secret chocolate milkshake creation. If you leave the establishment without one, you’re only failing yourself.

Wanna feel them out before you fall into their greatness? Follow them on Twitter for daily Chef creations.

Photo by Rachael Joyner

The first time I went into a Primanti Bros., I squeezed into a small chair at their very snug Fort Lauderdale location. I took a friend – a Pittsburgh native who said a taste of Primanti’s was like a taste of home. So I took him for his birthday.

“I’ll have the pastrami sandwich,” I started. “But hold the slaw.”

My friend looked at me in disbelief.

“What are you DOING?!” he barked. “Get the slaw.”

“But I don’t like cole slaw,” I said.

“Trust me.”

Following the dirty look I gave him and my server, I ordered my first Primanti’s pastrami sandwich: with cole slaw, french fries, tomatoes and provolone cheese. To this day, I ponder why I even considered making such a horrible decision against it.

It’s like the sandwich you make as a kid in the cafeteria at school: you pile everything on your tray in between two pieces of bread and there you have it: a pure genius creation that regardless of what you put on it, it tastes delicious.

Primanti Bros. – the Pittsburgh sandwich shop that migrated to South Florida nearly 15 years ago – has capitalized on putting everything on their sandwiches. Really, who needs it on the side? Find out how they got to doing it that way… Wilton Manors Manager Matt Zalewski says this pastrami concoction is one of his favorites, and one of the most ordered sandwiches, falling behind only to the infamous Pitts-burger: a burger holding the place of the pastrami with the works as well. Nothing against the burger, but I’m prone to the pastrami.

Trust me – and the Pittsburgh native who told me to trust him – and don’t hold anything. Get it, as is, and enjoy it. There’s no going back… nor would you ever want to.

If you get time, take a stroll over to their new Sunrise location, set with a full bar. Visit Matt at the Wilton Manors store or stroll to their Fort Lauderdale beach location, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

First popcorn, then what? Do you take away their Hungry Man dinners? What did Orville Redenbacher ever do to the Sun-Sentinel that Publisher Howard Greenberg had to send out a memo on Thursday afternoon to his staff telling them microwaving popcorn was banned from the building?

Did Greenberg ever make popcorn in the alleged “hazardous” microwave? Did he think that if the microwave was dangerous – not the popcorn – that maybe it should be replaced? I am well aware of recent budget cuts, Mr. Greenberg, but your staff – the ones that are still there – may end up finding ways around your microwave discrimination and bring in stove top popcorn… Unless you plan on banning popcorn altogether…

The holidays are coming up. Can we find it in our hearts to provide our fellow Fat Kids Club members at the Sun-Sentinel with a stove top popcorn popper? This one from Target looks pretty…

If anyone has any pictures of the Sun-Sentinel hazardous popcorn, please email me so we can warn non-employees about the dangers.

Winner Mike LaMonica had a total of 31 votes (including himself) out of nearly 70 that were cast at the First Annual Great Pizza Cook-off.

With a not-so-surprising, overwhelming majority, Team Mike LaMonica took home the inaugural victory of the Great Pizza Cook-off on Tuesday night. The contest was sponsored by Worst Pizza and the Sun-Sentinel held at Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza in Aventura.

With 31 votes, 25 t-shirts, and a “Vegetarian’s Nightmare” pizza, LaMonica not only brought the swag, he also brought 4 pounds of meat per pizza, including meatballs pepperoni, sausage, and two different kinds of cheese. The crust, while thin, was crunchy perfection.

“No vegetables were harmed in the making of this pizza,” he assured the crowd of nearly 70 pizza enthusiasts, many of whom wore LaMonica’s “Here’s the Beef” shirts he handed out early in the night.

LaMonica was one of five finalists hand-picked by Craig Agranoff (@Lapp) from Worst Pizza and Sun-Sentinel food critic John Tanasychuk More than 50 people entered the contest through the Sun-Sentinel website last month for a chance to compete.

All finalists directed chefs on toppings, amounts, and cooking times for their pizzas. While the last-minute switch-up by Anthony’s to hold the finalists from making their own pizzas, that didn’t deter their good-natured spirits, or their good pizza. The Fat Kids Club – who openly endorsed Team LaMonica – congratulates him on his spectacular victory.

Want to follow more of the over-flowing coverage of last night’s competition? Visit worstpizza.com often for continuous updates!

As children, there are three questions repeated profusely.

Are we there yet?

Do you love it so much that you would MARRY it?

And, of course….

Could you eat it every day for the rest of your life?

While the first two eventually fade, the third question sticks around. To this day, I think about that one meal that I could eat for the rest of my life. That meal, my friends, is my Grandma’s homemade macaroni and cheese.

Maybe it’s because my Grandma makes it, and she makes it with love. Maybe it’s because it didn’t come out of a box. Maybe it’s because it’s not Bobby Flay’ed with 365947 different ingredients. Whatever it is, it’s damn good and that’s all that matters.

Macaroni

1 lb (16 oz) uncooked elbow macaroni
6 qts water
2-4 tbsp kosher salt

Bring water to a boil. Add salt and macaroni. Stir. Boil rapidly 10-15 minutes uncovered. Check for tenderness with a fork. Al dente. Drain.

Sauce

4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
4 cups milk
4 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (maybe a little extra if you’re a cheese-a-holic like your Fat Kids Club President)

While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and salt. Heat until mixture bubbles. Remove from heat. Add milk gradually, return to heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add 3 cups grated cheese and stir until blended. Add macaroni and stir, pour into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle 1 cup (or however much you’ve got left over) grated cheese on top. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes until cheese is melted. Chow.

Got something better? Tell me in a comment!

Ruthie Medina, then 6, with "Mami Zoila" - as she called her, and younger sister Raquel.

In the spring of 1988, 4-year-old Ruthie Medina was just happy to be an older sister to newborn Raquel. She didn’t think that one of her mother’s follow-up appointments at the doctor was going to turn into a breast cancer diagnosis.

Her mother – Zoila – was diagnosed at 35 years old, and then had a double mastectomy at 36. Ruthie doesn’t know how far the cancer had spread when Zoila was diagnosed. But in September, 1994, Ruthie and Raquel, 10 and 6, lost their mother to breast cancer.

On Saturday, Oct. 17, Ruthie, Raquel, the entire Medina family and friends are honoring their mother. They are also honoring those who have lost the battle, won the battle, and hoping that one day, no one will have to battle.

That Saturday, the 14th Annual Komen Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Race for the Cure will have new (and lifetime) supporters, and I’m proud to not only have the Fat Kids Club sponsor Ruthie’s team, El Rack Pack, but also actively participate. It’s the first race for the entire pack, but for Ruthie and Raquel, it was a long time coming.

Mami Zoila Medina, from her Passport, in 1982.

“My sister and I have always wanted to, but never have,” Ruthie says. “I can’t bring back my mom, but it’s [more] about making that run with my sister, my husband, and new friends to let the world know that my mother’s memory can live on in us to find a cure and it’s not too late.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, over 186,000 women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005, with more than 41,000 dying from the disease. One in eight women will develop breast cancer – a number no one should be able to fathom as truth. As the second-most common cancer among women (behind non-melanoma skin cancer), I also have a personal connection to the disease, as do so many other families.

Seven years ago, I had an Aunt who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through chemotherapy and its reactions, heartbreak and tears, and finally, relief and happiness, we were lucky to have a survivor. But then there’s Ruthie, who lost her mother when she was in 5th grade – when most parents are picking up their children from elementary school, not losing their battle with cancer.

Support our team during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Fat Kids Club – in all its food cheekiness glory – is also happy to help others in need, no matter what the cause. In support of Breast Cancer awareness month, the Fat Kids Club hopes to help El Rack Pack make their goal of $500 towards breast cancer research and education. If you can pull out a dollar for a McDonald’s value menu cheeseburger, put it towards El Rack Pack’s team. The cheeseburger, my friends, can wait.

For more information about El Rack Pack’s mission, click here.

To join our group on Facebook, click here.

For more information about the Ft. Lauderdale/Miami Komen for the Cure walk, click here.

If you’ve been reading along, you may be familiar with South Florida’s lack of seasons. Besides sports, Floridians know that fall is arriving when pumpkins emerge on street corners, grocery stores and front lawns across the tri-county area.

In my search to satisfy everyone’s cravings with varied Fat Kid days of the week, I discovered that, oddly enough, there happens to be pumpkin recipes for every day I came up with. In celebration of the first Monday of October, enjoy the discovery of how Mexican food incorporates the beauty of the pumpkin.

Pumpkin Empanadas

…No really, they do exist.

I’m pretty much a fan of empanadas in most – if not all – fillings and shapes. In case I didn’t tell you before, I’m a big fan of Hispanic foods of all kinds.This pumpkin empanadas recipe comes from Cynthia Detterick-Pineda of Texas. But since that recipe is a little disorganized, try this one. They may be either really disgusting, or really delicious, but I leave that up to those who wish to take on that challenge. I’ll admit, I’m nervous about them…To be completely honest, they sound frighteningly amazing… especially this one. And apparently it’s more famous than I thought because this chick makes the pumpkin empanadas officially “dessert.” (She also has an entire blog dedicated to Mexican desserts.) Not like any traditional empanadas I’ve ever had before, which makes the curiosity that much greater. Who wants to take on the challenge? I’m always up for being the taste tester, I promise…

Pumpkin Tamales

My stomach told my head that this was a strange one, but pumpkin tamales? If you say so. They sound appetizing enough…

Other Interesting Mexican Pumpkin Discoveries

Smoky Braised Mexican Pumpkin
This lady tried Mexican Pumpkin Lasagna.
Pumpkin Flan? Really? Apparently…

No need to send me your suggestions at The Home Depot, the kitchen sink I’m in search for wont wash dishes. In fact, the only purpose this kitchen sink serves is to be filled with delicious dessert from Jaxson’s Ice cream Parlour and Restaurant in Hollywood.

The "Kitchen Sink" from Beaches and Cream in Orlando, FL.

There are a number of restaurants nation-wide that serve ice cream in a sink. Jahn’s Ice Cream Parlor in New York is one of them. The San Francisco Creamery Co. is another. Even Disney World’s Beaches and Cream in Orlando serves the ice cream-filled appliance.

And here we are, kids, we’ve got the sunshine, the ocean, and our very own ice cream parlor that can feed us everything and the kitchen sink. No need for us to travel outside of our beautiful South Florida bubble for an opportunity to dive into a sink. Custom made for parties of four, six or eight (sorry, no individuals can take on this sucker alone, house rules!) and the bigger the group, the bigger the sink. For $12.75 a person, each participant gets to pick a flavor out of more than 60 homemade choices. In goes bananas, whipped cream, nuts, cherries, pineapple, strawberries, random chocolate concoctions, whatever other toppings are around, and, of course, a couple of spoons.

The only problem is, I’ve never actually had it. Ice cream? Yes. Endless amounts of hot fudge? Of course. A kitchen sink at Jaxson’s? …I feel so… deprived.

So to start off October right, I will make a personal goal to get to Jaxson’s before November begins. As your President, I promise to report back with details. Anyone interested in joining in the festivities? Email me at dori@fatkidsclub.com