Sunday, July 18, 2010

Good Friends and Good Food

The feasting continued all weekend. Saturday evening found Karen, Bob G., Frank, and me at Cafe Ponte, which in my opinion is one of the best restaurants in our area. Karen is on a mission, and has included us in her quest. Last January, there was an article in the St. Petersburg Times titled "40 Dishes Worth Relishing", and we are working our way through most of the 40. At Cafe Ponte, it is the Wild Mushroom Bisque with truffle cream that made the list. Saturday evening it was offered to us as an Amuse Bouche, a complementary starter. WOW! It was wonderful, rich, creamy, and earthy. The truffle cream was a great addition. The soup was served in espresso cups and the portion size was perfect. We ordered the fig and prosciutto flat bread appetizer, which was very nice. Our entrees included Bouillabaisse (me), Butternut Squash Ravioli (Frank), Diver Scallops (Karen), and Hatfield Ranch Pork Chop (Bob). We all proclaimed our dishes wonderful. Frank selected a Willamette Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir to accompany our meals, which paired nicely with all of the items. 


On Sunday, Bob G arranged a "Group of Eight" dinner at Savannah's in St. Petersburg. The event celebrated Bob S. and Clyde's birthdays, and my retirement. Frank enjoyed the always good Shrimp and Grits while I had Mississippi Fried Catfish. The mustard and cornmeal crusted catfish was very good, and I would order it again. Savannah's is always a good option in St. Petersburg for Southern style food. And it was a fun evening with good friends.

3 comments:

Piglet's Buddy said...

Nice writing. Both events were such a good time. As I always, ALWAYS say, we are so blessed with such good friends.

Sue Shanabrook said...

Wow - Karen's come a long way and I'd guess you are her inspiration. Ask her about the days when she'd only eat at 5 different restaurants and order the same thing each time she went ;-). You are talking about my Karen right?!?!??!

Richard said...

Sue, Yes the same Karen we both know and love. The "stay humble" Karen. I will have to ask her about the "old" days.