Sunday, September 27, 2009

Weekend Wrap-up

It was another busy weekend in Saint Petersburg. My good friends, Carol and John from Mt. Dora, FL, and Georgiann and Jim from Orlando, arrived Saturday mid-day. After a lunch of Tilapia El Greco and Endive with Blue Cheese at Bistro 523 (i.e. my place), we headed to American Stage for their production of August Wilson's "Fences". It was an amazing play; very moving and thought provoking. The acting was superb, with the Oscar going to, in my opinion, Evander Duck Jr. as Troy Maxson, the lead character. If you live in the area and have an opportunity, go see Fences, now through Oct 11. 
Our post-theatre dinner was as Primi Urban Cafe, one of my favorite restaurants in downtown, and mentioned in prior posts. We shared three appetizers; sweet potato fried, antipasti platter, and crispy polenta triangles with prosciutto and tomatoes. For the entree, Jim and John each ordered Lamb Shanks. The lamb looked great, and it they are as tasty as the no-longer-available Chianti Braised Short Ribs, they had to taste great too. Carol and Georgiann each ordered the Wild Mushroom Ravioli served in browned sage butter. I have tried that before, and it too is a tasty item. I opted for the special of the evening, a South African Bobotie. Say what? This was a ground beef dish, loaded with flavorful spices. It is served in a slice, like a meatloaf, but that is where the comparison ends. There was a hint of curry, turmeric, and other ingredients which I could not identify, but all blended together to make a very unique and wonderful entree. Served in three separate small containers on the side were a mango chutney, a tomato relish, and sliced bananas with shaved coconut. Our server, Ken, said that these are traditionally mixed on the plate with the Bobotie, so I followed his suggestion. This added more levels of flavor to an already great dish. 
So, there you have it... go see Fences, then go to Primi Urban Cafe for a nice meal after the play. 


That's all I'm Saying !

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