By Rachel Galvin

For five decades, Joe Biondo has been creating his pizza creations. In 2015, he moved from his location in The Cove Shopping Center, where he had been for five years, and moved to his current location in the Deerfield Square Shopping Center (606 S. Federal Hwy.) He credits the move as his best decision yet, citing his increased visibility and easy access to parking as the reason for his increase in customers.

As his business has grown, he has also expanded his menu, and that is where the Pizza Plus comes in, including deli different sandwiches – reubens, pastrami and more; wings; burgers; chicken fingers, calzones; strombolis and salads.

“Our Philly Cheese Steak is filled with 12 oz. of meat and cheese,” said Biondo, who added, “Nobody uses Italian cold cuts like we do. We use Black Angus beef. We make our own pizza dough, sauce, everything is homemade and hands-on.”

They have plenty of sides to add, such as French fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, garlic knots, meatballs and Italian sausage.

Their pizza remains a staple. It comes in various sizes, including a 10 in. personal pizza, a 12 in. and a 17 in. All the pizzas come with grande cheese.

“The regular pizza is called Napoleton, which in Florida is called New York style. We also have double dough, which is like a pan pizza – thick, and our Sicilian is a tomato pie, with lots of herbs and Romano and Mozzarella cheeses, virgin olive oil and fresh basil,” he said, adding, “We have gourmet pizzas, including chicken pesto, Florentine, Hawaiian Chicken and pineapple and white pizza (with Ricotta, Romano and Mozzarella) and Margarita (with fresh tomato and fresh basil). Our signature pizza is the Biondo Supreme.”

The secret ingredient is tradition. He uses his family’s longtime recipes. They hail from Cinisi, Sicily. Today, the business is run not only by Joe, but also his wife, Janet, and her son, David.

In addition to a wide variety of Italian specialties, they also have beer and wines available, including some selections from Italy, as well as soda.

Don’t forget dessert! They have cannolis, NY Style Cheesecake and zeppolis.

Biondo’s has always been known as a take-out and delivery locale, but they are really hoping people sit within their seating area, get away from the grind for awhile and enjoy. They even have a flat-screen TV to watch. Their prices are so affordable it makes it easy to feed the whole family.

They deliver within a 3-mile radius ($10 min. delivery). For more information, call 954-427-7754 or visit www.Biondo’s pizza.com.

By Rachel Galvin

In the mood for Italian? Step into Amato’s Italian Grill, a perfect place for a romantic interlude or a family gathering. With Southern Italian flair, the chef cooks up everything from sandwiches, pizzas and calzones to favorites like linguini with red or white clam sauce, Mussels Marinara, Chicken Marsala, Veal Parmesean or Eggplant Rollatine. The meal begins with a generous helping of plain or garlic knots teeming with butter and garlic. The Bruschetta Italiana is an appetizer that will make your mouth water for more. Chopped tomatoes, red onions and basil set atop Italian bread saturated with balsamic vinegar and oil make for a crunchy start and a melt-in-your-mouth, slightly spicy finish. Looking for a milder beginner, try the can’tget- enough Pasta Fagioli, comfort food at its finest. For a light tasting entree that will fill you up and satiate your Italian craving, try the Chicken Francese. One of the more popular dishes, these thin egg-washed slices of tender chicken are pan sauteed in a lemony white wine sauce, made from fresh squeezed lemons. Of course, no dinner is complete without the finishing touch – a dessert. Try their tiramisu, made from scratch with espresso lady fingers, Kahlua, Marscapone cheese, almond cookie and other tasty ingredients. Presented with a criss-cross pattern of chocolate over the dusting of cookie on top, this tiramisu is thick and creamy and sits atop a bed of powdered sugar.

To quench your thirst, there is wine by the glass or carafe, or bring your own bottle ($15 corking fee). There also is domestic and imported beer, soda and San Pellegrino.

Owner Reyna Amato’s favorite dishes are the clams, the Fruta di Mare and Chicken Amato. All of her dishes are made with family recipes. She began her life in cooking at the age of 14 working with her parents at their pizzeria in New Jersey. Her family moved to the states from Palermo, Italy. She moved to Florida four years ago and opened Amato’s in 2010.

“Everything is homemade,” she said. “It is economically-priced, but fresh and high quality. Nothing is pre-packaged. The pizza is made every day. We have New York and Sicilian style.”

She plans on bringing entertainment back. At one time, it was outside on the patio; now, she plans to make it more intimate, allowing a single guitarist to play inside at certain times. For now, Italian music plays in the background.

They have unbelievable specials here, such as their lunch special – half a sandwich, cup of soup/ salad and a slice of pizza for only $6.99. Thursday is seafood night. For under $10, you get your choice of a wide selection of fish or seafood with your choice of sauce. Their early bird special is buy one plus two beverages and get second entree for $1.99. Ask about other specials and look for coupons here in the Observer.

Amato’s Italian Grill is located at 1901 N. Federal Hwy., Unit #112B, in the Pompano Citi Centre, Pompano Beach, FL 33062. Open Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday noon to 10 p.m., they also do take-out and delivery. Call 954-582-9211. For more information, visit www.amatositaliangrill.com.

By Allison Newcombe

Last Saturday, I went to a new restaurant that arrived in Lighthouse Point a little over a month-and-a-half ago. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious their pizza was.

This is the first of its franchise to make it down this far south, most are located near where the first Your Pie restaurant originated in Athens, GA. It’s not like any pizza place you have been to before, as you walk down a line and select all your options. They have a wide range starting from what dough you would prefer (whole wheat, original, gluten free), to the cheese, sauce and veggies you want. On Mondays kids eat free with the purchase of an adult pizza. Tuesdays is BOGO (Buy one get one) pizza night and Happy Hour is every day from 5 to 7 p.m. They only use the best quality cheeses and make their own sauce and dressing daily from scratch. Employees who work at this restaurant are very polite, always putting the customer first. The place is spotlessly clean and the gelato is amazing! The best part about Your Pie is that they have options for every type of customer, such as gluten free. Besides pizza, they also have bread-bowl salads, paninis and desserts.

Your Pie is located at 3650 N. Federal Hwy., Lighthouse Point, FL 33064. They also deliver; call 954-532-1531.