Foodie Alert
PIA’S SAVES FOODIE FROM GASTRONOMIC MELTDOWN
Talkin’ World War III Blues, Bob Dylan, last verse: Well, now time passed and now it seems Everybody’s having them dreams. Everybody sees themselves walkin’ around with no one else. Half of the people can be part right all of the time, Some of the people can be all right part of the time, But [...]
FOODIE TUNE UPS
I’d swear some folks are in the wrong business. I leave some food-serving establishments in a numbing stupor of disbelief. And I’m not talking about the sugar high from too many Shirley Temples. In fact, they don’t even serve these to kids anymore. According to the news, the chains are giving the kiddies the hard [...]
FOODIE FROLICS
This is a fast frolic of food finds, so hold on to your forks. Park Plaza Gardens in Winter Park serves a French onion soup made with seven kinds of onions and tops the thick melted cheese with frazzled onions, bringing tears of delight to my eyes. Tampa Bay Brewing Company in Ybor City puts [...]
I WENT. I SAW. I ATE. I VISITED. I ENJOYED.
I met the warmest, welcoming small-business owners Michael Knettel and Bobbi Stapleton at their 10th anniversary celebration of Domain Home Accessories last evening. Folks like these add such a positive environment to the Gulfport shopping and living experience. And Tangelo’s Grille served interesting and delicious noshes (veggie, pumpkin, and conch fritters; eye-appealing, fresh-made salsa for the [...]
O’MADDY! O’BADDY! O’SADDY!
On Monday, January 31, around 5 p.m., my husband Bill and I had our first bad meals at O’Maddy’s. For the past 3 years, we have enjoyed the delicious creative touches to our dining experience; however, we do wish their house wine added to the experience. The last time I had it, I had to [...]
YOUR CASA AT HABANA CAFE
If you want to enjoy a home-cooked Cuban meal without going to Cuba, take a seat at the Habana Cafe. The Cuban sandwiches, black beans, roast pork, roasted Plantains, and flan are always a good choice. I like the way they season their food, bringing out the intrinsic flavor of the food, nothing over-powering, but [...]
FOODIE BOYCOTT
I had a scoop of sugar-free Moose Track ice cream with an espresso pour over and a dab of whipped cream (saved the calories for the whipped cream) at Paradise Sweets in Pass-a-Grille. I enjoy my caffeine jolt with a cold, creamy finish on a hot beach day. But this time the ice cream was [...]
TWISTED TARPON ON ST. PETE BEACH
I have visited this new St. Pete Beach restaurant three times in a week; they didn’t have to do any twisting to get my attention. I recently was looking for a new adult, casual-dining experience with a couple visitors, but I had three Grands (9, 7 and 5 years old) tagging along, too. I found [...]
DeLAND DELIGHT
Here are five reasons to visit Deland, Florida: charming, artsy, antiques, historical, and De La Vega Restaurant Y Galeria. I am still longing for another trip just to enjoy Chef Nora’s family recipes which she tweaked, expertly preparing the freshest ingredients that brought out sophisticated and complex flavors of Mexican cuisine that I have never [...]
Thai-Mex CONFUSION!
I mean fusion, and I loved this mix-up at Nitally’s Thai-Mex Cuisine. It’s a culinary dream made in heaven: a Mexican hombre marries a Thai lady and from this love match we are blessed with Nitally’s Thai-Mex fusion fantasy, bringing us to the rim of a culinary volcano of delightful, taste-tickling sensations. What a ride [...]
BELLINI’S – ARE YOU LISTENING?
Leaving the St. Pete Beach outdoor concert Saturday night, October 22, 2010, a couple in our group of eight generously offered to treat us to a nightcap and bar food with part of their 50/50 winnings. Bellini’s in Gulfport was the choice, since many of us had not been there since the Forgata fiasco. The [...]
DIVE INTO THE FUN!
Doesn’t get much better than this: rooftop sunset, welcoming waiter, cheap libations, and tempting vittles. And the addition of good friends, spicy music, and awe-inspiring fireworks celebrating Gulfport’s 100th anniversary makes you wonder why anyone would go to way-to-commercial Key West to chill out. We had it all Saturday night at the Dive Bar and [...]
727-328-RIBS (7427)
Tuck this number away with your real gold and important papers, for this is one contact you don’t want to lose. While enjoying the blues Saturday night in Gulfport’s Tangerine neighborhood, some serious smokin’ rib aromas put me in a trance. It was like one of those walking-dead movies from the 50s, as I followed [...]
WHAT’S HE SMOKIN’?
It sure isn’t a hot-dang Texas, kick-arse BBQ at Smokin’ J’s BBQ at 5145 Gulfport Blvd. Texas barbecue is supposed to be a highly-sensuous, engaging experience…a cattle round up of your senses, so to speak. Zap those taste buds with layers of intriguing flavors. Light up those peepers with glimpses of grilling magic. Choke up [...]
ECCO, OUCH!
Ecco is now open for breakfast and lunch Friday through Monday, in a special arrangement its owner has set up with another group. Having blown my discretionary money at Busch Gardens for five days during a two-week Florida visit with the Grands and their parents, I had been waiting until the retirement check came in [...]