Breakfast at Sunset...Sunset on Clearwater

We set out late for our breakfast at Caddy's on Sunset Beach.  When we arrived they had already changed over for lunch so instead of a great benedict or huge breakfast burrito with bloody mary's or beach coffee, we settled for a Philly cheesesteak and a grouper rueben.  Both were good and filled the hole, giving us a nice foundation for our day at the beach which included lounging on beach chairs under an umbrella (thanks, Eric!!), having a few drinks, and floating around in the water.  Blissful day of relaxation.  Ahhhh.  We like Caddy's for the beach.  It allows us to head for the beach with little more than a couple of towels, a good book and some sunscreen. 

We started to head for home and felt a little light-headed from the sun, so a stop at Crabby Bill's in Indian Rocks Beach provided some cold drinks and respite from the hot sun.  Crabby Bill's, a longstanding tradition for no frills, good seafood, was lively, fun and a bargain for a beer and a cocktail for $6! 

Feeling cool and getting hungry, we decided to head to Clearwater Beach, to try Union Burger, a new spot we'd spied the night before.  Union Burger, a Canadian brand of premium burger restaurant was good, but not great.  They offer a good variety of burgers and chicken sandwiches with standard and premium toppings, hand-cut fries and a sophisticated dining room.  Mack said it best, "It's like a churched-up Five Guys." Burgers were cooked well-done, which made them a bit chewy and hard to get down.  Heinz ketchup was a plus and fries, though a bit greasy were pretty yummy.  $29 for 2 burgers, fries and softdrinks.  Parking was more than difficult...we ended up parking over 5 blocks away, but luckily a pleasant evening made it a nice walk.

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.

Eats in Key West

My friend's birthday and a $59 flight from AirTran was a great excuse to head to Key West for the weekend.  First stop, lunch!  We were starving by the time we got off the plane, took a cab ride from the airport to our B&B and then a had hike to our cottage. 

We did a little window shopping on Duval Street and while chatting with the Friday artist at 7 Artists Gallery, he made a suggestion that we try Lobos Grill (http://loboskw.com/). Tucked behind a Mexican restaurant in the 600 block of Duval in Key Lime Square, it is a funky little tree shaded shack with 6 picnic tables and 1 server.  The food is fresh and yummy.  My friend Carla chose a basil infused Chicken Salad wrap and I opted for the Luau Tuna wrap.  The chicken wrap was yummy and so was the Tuna Salad with sweet pineapple.  So yummy in fact that I forget to photograph them.  Rather than show an empty plate, here is a pic of the mimosa that I made with a tiny carafe of OJ and split of champagne. 

We stayed at the Andrews Inn, a lovely little bed and breakfast, in "Hemingway's backyard."  We rented their Eyebrow Cottage which is actually a few blocks away from the main property.  It is a 1 bedroom unit with ample living room, dining room, large full kitchen and private deck with hot tub.  The only downside of this unit is that breakfast is not included in the rate, although happy hour is.  We enjoyed happy hour on our second day with cocktails by the teeny A-shaped pool. 

No worries, we have our favorite breakfast place...Blue Heaven.  I was a little disappointed that the birthday girl chose to eat there 3 mornings in a row, as I had my eye on Croissants de France, but Blue Heaven didn't fail to satisfy us with good food and good times.  We were happy to wait at the bar for a much coveted table at the extremely popular restaurant known for their casual, funky atmosphere and scrumptious breakfasts.  Here is the birthday girl with a goblet of Heaven's Punch, a fruity rum punch that goes down way too smoothly(...one leads to two and then you fall down on the way to your table!) Once seated amongst the chickens, under the trees, with live music you could imagine yourself much further south in the Caribbean.

Carla ordered the Rooster Special, a hearty combo of 2 eggs, any style, bacon or sausage, grits or toast and potatoes AND pancakes.  You can get this with pecan pancakes which are fluffy and full of nuts.  Real Vermont maple syrup is available for a little more, but we opted for the house syrup which was just fine.  As I always do, I ordered the Shrimp and Grits, decadently enhanced by sharp white Vermont cheddar cheese and a poached egg.  Creamy grits, tangy cheese and big perfectly cooked, perfectly spiced shrimp were filling and delicious, paired with fresh fruit and homemade banana bread.  The banana bread was a little dry and could have been helped with a little butter, but our server didn't offer and I was so wrapped up in the grits I didn't ask.  Full of breakfast and totally relaxed we set out to do some shopping while we waited for our 3rd partner in crime to arrive.


Cocktails by the pool and Cheesy Poufs were a delightful afternoon diversion in the Andrews Inn's miniature A-shaped pool.  Despite its small size it was the coolest place to be and we enjoyed the shade under an umbrellas at a poolside table and chairs.  The 3 of us made it back to our cottage, showered and changed for the evening festivities.  We ended up at Amigos Tortilla Bar on Front St.  It wasn't until we were seated at the bar looking out on the street that we realized we had a great view of Captain Tony's and Sloppy Joe's.  Amigos is home of the square taco...no round tortillas here. We ordered some chips and salsa while perusing the menu.  The salsa was smoky and flavorful and the chips were hot and freshly made.  Maryann chose Carne Asada Quesadillas, Carla picked a Burrito platter and I had the Shrimp Tacos.  All three were accompanied by more of the smoky good salsa or pico or salsa verde.  Refried beans, potatoes with chorizo and guacamole rounded things out.  The people watching was awesome from our perch and the margaritas weren't too bad, either.

The next day while at Blue Heaven, we learned about their new place on the beach, Salute!.  After another morning walk and window shopping we were melting and decided to rent a little golf cart like vehicle.  What a great idea!!!  We zipped around the island in relative cool and comfort and got to see some of the further flung spots in record time.  After tooling around the West Martello Tower Garden, a beautiful beachside botanical garden, we dropped by Salute! to check it out.  Right on Higgs beach, this was a perfect place to escape the afternoon heat with some cool cocktails, a Rum Runner, a Pina Colada and an Italian Lemonade. 

The cocktails were cool, rich and strong.  But we were missing something...a snack!  The menu was not really geared toward snacking.  Very mediterranean with mussels and calimari and just not what we had in mind.  A slice of their mile-high meringued key lime pie would have to do.  Three forks and we made fast work of this confection.  The filling could have been a little more tart for my taste, but I confess I didn't leave any thing behind on the plate.  Must mention that the staff was fun and the bathrooms though outside were artful and fun.  Had we not had to return our buggy and have other places to stop, this would have been a great place to linger away the afternoon and maybe part of the evening, too.

One last stop for dinner the night before we left--Cheeseburger Key West.  We had walked past this place so many times during the weekend.  For some reason, a burger sounded good.  The fun Hawaiian decor should have been a hint that the food would be fun as well.  The walls, covered in the best 50's, 60's and 70's tropical kitsch were a treat to view.  The menu of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and entrees was sprinkled with Hawaiian flavors like pineapple, teriyaki and such.  I chose a California Burger with avocado and grilled pineapple.  It was perfectly cooked and served with melted provolone, grilled onions and a side of sweet potato fries.  I wish I had remembered to take a picture before I devoured it, but there's my empty plate.

So, we had the comfort of our old familiar Blue Heaven each morning for breakfast.  And found a few new places.  I think that's the beauty of a place like Key West...always the comfort of your old favorite places, but always something new as well.  I guess that's why I always like to go back.

Crabby Bills for Breakfast....Hot Stuff!

So, on Sunday, rounded up about half of the usual suspects for brunch and decided to try Crabby Bill's on Indian Rocks Beach.  This beloved, no frills seafood spot has been serving breakfast for quite some time.  Their dinner fare has always been great, so thought we'd give it a shot for breakfast.
They open at 7am and take my advice: Go EARLY!  Most of the seating is outside at high top tables, the bar or at picnic tables.  Shade is hard to find under the typical bar umbrellas and even fans and misters didn't help our 11am group from roasting.

The menu is good, although I had hoped to see more seafood items incorporated into the typical breakfast fare.  Along with apple wood smoked bacon, sausage, and steak, there was fried catfish as accompaniment to eggs, any style with toast and the yummiest home fries.  French toast, $5.99 with bacon was hearty and satisfying to a hungry panda-child.  Add a side of home fries, $2.49 and she was full all day.

Other seafood choices were a Crab Benedict, which replaced the usual Canadian bacon in a typical Eggs Benedict with crab cakes (again, real crab, not krab).  Their omelets included a Chesapeake with crab (real crab, not krab), cream cheese and Old Bay seasoning and the Floridian, $7.99, my choice, with cheddar, sweet shrimp and tomatoes.  The omelet was solid and tasty with large pink shrimp, cooked perfectly.  I could only eat half and I will admit that this was so good that at around 4:30 after swimming, I stood in my mother's kitchen and ate the other half standing over the kitchen sink and it tasted just as good cold.

 Great service by Adam, our young waiter who kept the drinks filled and was happy to accommodate a special request for real butter by bringing a generous slab of it on a small plate.  The atmosphere at Crabby Bill's is colorful and tropical.  We agreed it would be fun to come back for happy hour in the cooler evening hours.  We will definitely return for breakfast in the fall when the weather is cooler. 

Total for 2 soft drinks, 2 breakfasts plus a side of home fries was $19.76 including tax. 

Rumba Island Bar & Grill...part 2

This time it was Girl's Night Out...party of 8 for dinner and off to a movie. Everyone was pleased with the table, but frustrated by the lack of parking. Rumba does offer valet parking, but in our no one carries cash society there was a lot of stressing and trading of small bills at our table to be able to tip the valet after dinner. Our waitress Devyn L (are there 2 Devyn's??) was friendly, but slow to take our order, though she did keep 8 people's drinks filled like a champ. With the panda child whining "I'm hungry, mommy" while the ladies chatted over 2-4-1 sangria and margaritas, I waved Devyn over and ordered 3 of the Mama Maria Mini muffins baskets . They were warm, moist and flavorful with a hint of cheddar and scotch bonnet pepper, a quiet hunger-sushing bargain at 3 dozen for around $5.00 that we shared with the whole table. Bonus: Panda got to take the leftovers home for Saturday morning breakfast. Devyn did offer helpful suggestions and the selections across our group varied from the Crispy Coconut Prawn (HUGE) appetizer, $7.99 and the Sweet Potato Green Tomato Tower, $2.99 to their special cut Pit Sirloin, $13.49 to Quesadillas, around $8 with your choice of meat or seafood and several of the island rice bowls, around $12 again with your choice of protein. Once the food arrived, there were plenty of "soooo good" and "here, taste this sauce" back and forth across the table. Panda had the Maytag Blue Burger, $8.49 a testimony to her current love affair with blue cheese. It was well cooked to her liking and so big she thought she couldn't finish it. My Rumba salad with blackened shrimp $9.99 was fresh, crisp and had a fair amount of smoky bacon, corn and ripe tomatoes, but not much of their yummy poppy seed dressing. However after dinner I walked away thinking, wasn't there supposed to be avocado on that salad? Yes, they forgot it...waaah. We both ordered a side of the Crab Mac & Cheese, $2.49 and worth every penny for a toasty warm cup of comfort with a crisp topping and luscious stretchy cheese inside. Everyone was pleased with Rumba. There were some things done very well, some things done a little less well. Everything was good, just not great. The atmosphere at Rumba is island casual, so go for a relaxed evening, without expectations and you will enjoy it...just might want to remember to bring some cash for the valet. Total bill for 2 soft drinks, appetizer, and 2 entrees including tax: $30.85

Rumba Island Bar & Grill, Clearwater, FL

All day long I'd been thinking about "a cold beer by the water". As the day wore on, heading out to the beach seemed like too much effort, so I TM'd "Meet for a beer? At Rumba?" It's close to the house and it's tiki-tropical feel is almost like being at the beach. First let me say that Rumba Island Bar & Grill is a good restaurant and a good bar. Their outdoor tiki hut has comfortable chairs, a nice breeze and awesome barstaff. Our bartender, Sue, was quick with a Blue Moon and Magic Hat #9 to quench our thirst. But Rumba, and it's red-headed steptwin, Marlin Darlin' are the casual, less polished versions of the Baystar Restaurant Group's Island Way Grill and Salt Rock Grill. We believe that Rumba is where they train the staff before they cull out the talent and send them on to Island Way, just a few miles down the road. Now, as to the eats! We started with their Smoked Fish Spread $5.49. It was good, but not much smoky flavor. Sue provided an array of hot sauces which helped it along. For dinner, he ordered The Island Boy Burger with cheese and bacon, $7.99. Cooked perfectly to order, medium, it was still juicy, cheesy and satisfying. Paired with lime, salt and herbed Island Fries, $2.99, it was good food. I picked the Rumba Melt, $8.49, a messy patty melt on grilled marble rye. With grilled purple onions (was this the tropical part?)it was not cooked to perfection, but on the raw side of medium. The bread was toasty and yummy on the outside, but a little soggy and greasy toward the middle. Needless to say at least half was abandonned on the plate. Total for the 3 beers, a soda, appetizer, the burgers and fries: $43.61 before tip. Good, but not great. Stay tuned for Rumba, Part 2 as the panda-child and I meet friends there tomorrow for a pre-movie dinner. We'll try something different and see if they can impress on the second try.

Oh yay, another Food and Restaurant Blog...

Who are we, some kind of experts? Some kind of artsy-fartsy foodies who think they know everything? Not really. We both like to cook...he the user of recipes and she the mad scientist who thinks recipes are more like "guidelines". He from Northern Minnesota where the flavors are pure and simple, the casseroles are Hot Dishes and the meat and potatoes are plentiful; and she the Florida girl with the Italian mother and the Southern father who showed her the world through food and National Geographic. Both our mothers are excellent cooks who are often consulted for advice, guidance and recipes. His palate is a little more adventurous in the spicy arena; while hers is more adventurous in the "Hmm, I wonder what that would be like..." (not really an arena, but a free-for-all). Part of the time we drag a kid along, a 13 year old of the Panda variety. She wrinkles her nose up at anything green or mushroom-like. Her palate is all over the place. If you can get her to try something, she might like it, she might not. It is too difficult to keep track of at this point. Even more than cooking, we like to eat out. We used to go to the same restaurants all the time...even our favorites get boring. So, he says to her, "Why don't you whip out your little restaurant thingy and find us a place." The "little restaurant thingy" is the Urban Spoon app for iPhone. It is pretty good. It has led us to some gems: Nauti-Nancy's, Juan's Mexican Grill, and is especially good when we road-trip. Give it a try and find someplace new. So, from time-to-time we will fill you in on stuff we find like good deals, cool gadgets, etc., and places we go to dine, to eat or just to "fill the hole".