From Machu Piccu to Clearwater Beach

"Let's make a loop..."  is one of the greatest utterances from the other end of the couch...it means "Road Trip!".  Our road trips have taken us to the Keys for Christmas camping, to Gainesville (via Cedar Key) just for dinner, to a Navy Seal Muster in Vero Beach, to great BBQ in east Tampa to shoe shopping in Orlando and a host of other interesting adventures.

So, Saturday, we drove down to Sarasota to see the beautiful Monica and had a late lunch at The Peruvian Grill (www.peruviangrillsarasota.com).  A tiny cafe in a strip mall, it makes good use of its space and crams in about 8 tables.  A live video of Peruvian culture plays on a monitor in the dining room, so you might catch a glimpse of Machu Piccu. The service is friendly and beverages are served with a Peruvian specialty Fried Corn and a jalapeno-cilantro-garlic creamy sauce...addictive.  We sampled Yucca o Papa Huancaina, fried yucca strips with a creamy aji amarillo and cheese sauce.  The strips were similar to french fries, but somewhat lighter and again, addictive.  Another appetizer we tried was the Papa rellena, a mixture of ground beef and pork, raisins, olives and peanuts coated in a mashed potato crust that was golden brown and served with a delicious onion relish.  The potato crust was crispy on the outside and the interior was the perfect bed for the rich, flavorful meat mixture, topped with a bit of the brightly flavored onion relish, it was a hearty start to our meal.

When our entrees arrived we were on the verge of full, but the tantalizing flavors lured us in and as our friend said, "I'm stuffed, but this is so good I can't stop eating."  The Lomo Saltado, braised beef strips with onions and tomatoes in a beef sauce has origins in Japanese cuisine.  Thanks to a host of immigrants throughout history, Peruvian food boasts a world of influence from Japan to Britain.  The House Corvina, a chilean sea bass in chimichurri sauce accompanied by the house salad, rice and fried plantains was delicious.  The fish was cooked perfectly and spiced just right.  The fried plantains were carmelized and crispy on the outside, tender and sweet on the inside.  Even the white rice, looking molded and bland had some flavor and was hard to ignore.  Although intrigued, no one had room for dessert.  Generous portions and wonderful flavors made this a great meal.  $85 for 3 appetizers, 3 entrees and 4 beers. 

On the way back, we stopped at Ricky T's in Treasure Island.  A cold beer in their Tiki Bar was just too inviting to pass by.  Parking is at a premium, but we found a spot in the adjacent city lot and were lucky to get the last 2 seats at the bar.  Kevin Toon was playing, the Rays had won and the crowd was fun and spirited.  The beers arrived cold and went down smooth as we enjoyed some old Jimmy Buffett tunes and a light seabreeze.  It was the kind of summer night that we Floridians are blessed with in September. 

As hunger set in, we decided to hop down to the Pub in Indian Shores.  A great old place on the intercoastal we ran into...oh, you'll never guess....people from Minnesota!  After a quick chat we took a table by the water and enjoyed another beer and a margarita on the rocks as the moon rose over the water.  We ordered the smoked fish spread and the onion straws.  Both were just okay.  We like our fish spread smoky and chunky and this was whipped smooth and in desperate need of hot sauce.  Still, we managed to clean the plate.  This stop was good, but not great, which was disappointing since the tab was over $30 for 2 appetizers, a beer and a cocktail.

Onward, we hit Clearwater Beach and passed by all the tourists and hoopla and neon t-shirt shops to land at the Shipwreck.  With pirates outside to great you and painted treasures, fish nets and sharks on the walls in this little grotto, you feel like you have arrived at the bottom of an old aquarium.  The crowd is a mix of college students and locals and the people watching is top notch.  The bartender, Angie, whips up all sorts of cocktails behind the little bar.  Intimate, enclosed booths with arched windows look out on a small dancefloor with a band or DJ on the weekends. 

Our final destination, was Toucan's Sports Bar right smack dab in the middle of the SandPearl-Hooters-Frenchy's-Pier 60 madness.  We opted to not park in the nearby bank parking lot as it was plastered with "No Parking.  24/7/365 Tow Away Zone" signs, but found a spot less than a block away.  Toucan's has a big central bar, indoor and outdoor seating, plenty of TV's to catch every game, a late night kitchen and room for a DJ and dancefloor.  It was clean and fresh and we decided we'd definitely consider going there again since it is a simple $10 cab ride from our house.

Stay tuned...tomorrow we hit the beach again with breakfast at Sunset and sunset on Clearwater.