The Urban Flaneur

Thai in Clearwater Area.

2012-02-08T18:30:00.001-05:00

My friend, Bob, commented that I have not blogged about any restaurants lately (OK, not since Jan 15th anyway). Today, when the topic came up we were enjoying a lovely Thai lunch at a Clearwater area restaurant, Ban Thai, on Enterprise Road, at the Northeast corner with McMullin-Booth road. I have eaten at Ban Thai a number of times but never thought to blog about it although I always enjoy the food and the setting. Today I had the Crispy Duck Panang served with assorted vegetables and rice. The panang sauce was very good. The lunch specials (all reasonably priced) come with an egg roll, soup, and Thai donuts for dessert. All was yummy. Today we ate with a large group of 15 or so people. The majority of the table (at least the end of the table around me), raved about the food.
So if you are ever in the area craving some good Thai, stop by Ban Thai.

Tryst

2012-01-15T15:41:00.000-05:00

Another new restaurant opened along Beach Drive in St. Petersburg called "Tryst", which is billed as a gastropub. We went for lunch a few weeks ago and found the food unmemorable, but the decor was very stylish. On the first visit Frank had an "ordinary" Caesar Salad"and I had the lamb burger, dry and overcooked, I requested medium rare, this one was well done.

We made a return visit for lunch yesterday (Saturday) and had a much better experience. Frank enjoyed their Goat Cheese and Arugula salad, while I will give my Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo a thumbs up. I also ordered the appetizer of Seared Ahi Tuna with Grapefruit wedges. The Tuna was cooked to a perfect rare, but was lacking in flavor.

While this visit was a definite improvement over the first visit, I would like to return to try the dinner menu. Tryst is a classy space in golds, silvers, and black with great banquets (check their website) on one long wall. They have indoor and outdoor seating, a long indoor bar and a smaller outdoor accessible bar facing on Beach Drive. Service was very good and the location is great. I think their focus will be more on the hip bar crowd.

That's all I'm Saying

New "To Quote"

2012-01-11T12:33:00.001-05:00

A good friend sent me a greeting card with a quote from Oscar Wilde which I like and will include in the "To Quote" section on the right sidebar of this blog. Enjoy!

"Life is too important to be taken seriously!"
Oscar Wilde

Los Angeles and Anaheim Photographs

2012-01-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

LA and Anaheim photographs are now available from the right sidebar

Something is Fishy

2011-12-27T15:46:00.000-05:00

Frank and I had another successful Christmas Eve dinner. We again prepared the "Feast of 7 Fishes", an Italian tradition. We started at 3PM and finished eating the last dish about 8 PM, We took a leisure approach with the preparation and consumption of one dish at a time.We also took a couple of short cuts to keep it simple and relaxed. In my understanding of the feast you have to use 7 different sea foods (not just swimming little fishes). We had a great fun time with good food. So here is the menu, in the order of preparation and consumption.

Anchovies and Sardines on crostini (counts as two fishes)
Clam Chowder (prepared by Fresh Market)
Crab Meat Salad
Sauteed shrimp served over spaghetti
Seared Sea Bass served on a bed if wilted radicchio with Yukon Gold potatoes
and finally, Seared Sea Scallops

We served smaller portions of each item so we could get through all 7 dishes. But even with our best effort, we never made it to the non-fish cheese course which we had planned for our dessert. After 5 hours of cooking and eating we were full, and tired. But it was worth it.

As Frank pointed out and I would agree: We will fix the "Feast of 7 Fishes" again, but neither of us are ready to attempt the alternate Italian Christmas Eve tradition, the "Feast of 13 Fishes"

That is all I'm Saying.

Happy New Year everyone.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T10:04:00.000-05:00

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas, Happy Chanukah, and a Happy New Year.

Los Angeles and Anaheim

2011-12-18T19:13:00.000-05:00

Here is a set of pictures from our November 2011 journey to the L.A area. You have read the script (my blog) and now you can see the movie (OK, a set of 26 photographs). I hope you enjoy the album. Just click Mickey's Ferris Wheel to view.

LA 2011

The Rest of the Story

2011-11-20T18:45:00.000-05:00

It is now Monday in Anaheim and the last day of the trade show for Frank at 1:00 PM. Since we were now paying for our room, I had booked a room with a Disney Fireworks view for our last 3 nights. We only got to view them from the room one night, but it was fun to watch away from the crowds.

We had reservations at Napa Rose for dinner on Monday night. The restaurant is on the first floor of the Grand Californian Hotel on Disney property. The hotel is very similar to the Wilderness Lodge at WDW, but the decor is Arts and Crafts. The restaurant is comparable to the California Grill at the Contemporary Hotel. We enjoyed a drink in the fireplace room, off the lobby before heading to our dinner reservation.

We started our meal with a shared appetizer of seared sea scallops in a lobster sauce - very nice. Frank ordered the venison chops, tender and cooked to Frank's desired doneness. While I selected the Duck Confit. Both dishes were good although the duck lacked a depth of flavor I would expect. (Yes, the food snob is here again). Frank won the prize for selecting the best dish of the evening. We concluded the evening with a cheese plate - just OK, but still a nice finish to the meal.

Tuesday; We purchased a 1-day Park Hoper pass so we could visit both parks on the same day, Disneyland and California Adventure. Frank had to wheel me around in a wheelchair or I would not have made even one park. Thank you my Friend. It was embarrassing, but I swallowed my pride and let him push away. We did managed to ride a few "easy" rides plus Frank rode solo on the Matterhorn bobsled ride.

We had lunch at Wine Country Trattoria Restaurant in the California Adventure park where I had Penne Bolognese and Frank opted for the Goad Cheese Mixed Green Salad. After lunch we moved from California Adventure area to Disneyland where we rode more rides including Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (that's my speed) and the Haunted Mansion among others. Dinner was in the Grand Californian Hotel at Hearthstone Lounge, off the hotel lobby. We shared two Blue Cheese Hamburger Sliders and a Cheese Plate.

Wednesday was a fun and interesting day. We booked a full day mini-bus tour of LA and Hollywood with pick-up at the hotel - nice. We toured through much of the city with stops at Hollywood Blvd, (Walk of Fame, Grauman's Theatre, and a view of the Hollywood sign above the city), The Farmers Market (lunch), and Marina del Rey. We drove down Sunset Blvd and Rodeo Drive and through some of the residential street of Hollywood. It was a good overview tour of the area.

Wednesday evening,to complete our journey to Anaheim we returned to Orange Hill Restaurant, see PCH post from earlier in the trip. The view was so nice and the food very good that we wanted to conclude the trip with those memories. I selected the Prime Rib and Frank opted for the Filet Mignon, Both meals were very nice, but someone needs to get a handle on portion control. My prime rib was listed as 3/4 pound, while Frank's Filet had to be at least that much. Way too much food.

Friday was spent at airports and on airplanes returning to Tampa. Our flights were both FULL but uneventful - a good thing I would say.

It was a fun trip., Frank's first to Disneyland and my first return visit to Disneyland since the mid-50's not long after it opened.

That's all I am Saying

Home Again

2011-11-18T18:59:00.000-05:00

I arrived home last night about 12:30 AM after a flight back from Anaheim. Both legs of the flight were delayed due to passenger boarding issues. Customers were asked to check their "carry on" luggage as the flights were FULL, and there would not be enough room in the overhead space. Since some of the people could not grasp that concept, they were lugging on their large roll-aboards onto the flight and having to check it anyway. Oh, well, that is how it goes when you are flying these days. Now, it is happy blog time (no whining).

Next, first three days of dining.

Friday: After Frank finished with Day 1 of the trade show, we had dinner at Tony Roma's Restaurant close to the hotel. Enough said about that.

Saturday: This was covered in the PCH post a few days ago, so I will jump ahead to Sunday.

On Sunday, I had lunch at Rainforest Cafe (don't bother) at Downtown Disney and walked around the shopping area for a while. The best part of the day was meeting up with a second cousin, Abigail, who is now living in Hollywood in search of stardom. Before moving to LA she spent 3 years as a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader which is quite an accomplishment. She just finished filming a movie with Adam Sandler (small part - Abi, not Sandler) which will be released next summer. I wish her well - she deserves it.

Abi picked me up at my hotel and she drove us to the foothills east of town to Orange County Mining Company, which has similar spectacular views of the valley like last nights dinner at Orange Hill Restaurant. Abi ordered a pasta primavera and I opted for the Scallops sauteed in a mustard cream sauce. My only criticism is that the scallops should have been seared, not sauteed. We enjoyed the meals but as with Orange Hill Restaurant, the view stole the show. It was nice spending an evening with Abi - the last time I saw her was at her high school graduation party.

I will catch up on the rest of trip over the next few days. But while you are waiting, here is a shot of Abi and me at the restaurant.

PCH

2011-11-13T18:42:00.001-05:00

On Saturday, I took a nice drive from Long Beach south on route CA 1 also known as Pacific Coast Highway. It was a chilly,windy, and occasionally damp day but it was a nice drive, none the less. I drove through a number of Southern California beach communities, including Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Newport Beach and ending in Dana Point before heading to Anaheim on I-5. My favorite was Laguna Beach which had a quaint main drag and plenty of restaurants. I stopped for lunch at Rock'N Fish. I had a nice cup of clam chowder and a large shrimp cocktail. The chowder was very good as were the shrimp.

Frank and I had dinner at the Orange Hills Restaurant about 10 miles from the hotel, high on a mountainside overlooking the lights of the greater L A area. Frank ordered a filet mignon and I opted for the bouillabaisse. The food was good but was overshadowed by the sparkling lights of the city.

O'Dark :30

2011-11-13T17:40:00.001-05:00

O'Dark :30 is way too early to have to get up like we did Friday morning. We had a 6:00 AM departure from Tampa to Anaheim, CA,which involved a 3:00 AM wake-up call. Frank is participating in another trade show and I am hanging around the Anaheim area relaxing. We are staying at a Red Lion hotel across the street from Disneyland. It is strange walking out of the hotel and see the CA version of the Tower of Terror rising above the tree tops and other hotels. The parks here, being Disney's first, do not have the open expanse of vegetation that we find at the Florida complex. We plan on a visit to Disneyland on Tuesday after the trade show is over

FSS in Philadelphia

2011-10-28T16:53:00.000-04:00

Friday Saturday Sunday (<--- click to view site) is open on Monday. Fortunately for us since we had reservations at this Center City Philadelphia restaurant for dinner last Monday. We just returned from a short visit to our friend Deirdre. We took a recommendation from our friend Liz blog Never Trust a Skinny Cook and booked at this long established restaurant. It was great. There were 5 of us in the group, Frank, Deirdre, me and two other friends from my Ireland trip with Deirdre, a few years ago. All agreed the food and service was really good. I had the "rack of lamb" basically two of the thickest chops I have ever had and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Frank had the butternut squash ravioli in a sage brown butter sauce - loved it. Fran ordered the steak, again cooked perfectly, to which she proclaimed, "This is the best steak I have ever eaten". Els, (Fran's sister) had the crab cakes - another winner. Unfortunately I don't remember what Deirdre had, but she liked it too. (Bad memory).

The ladies had the coconut cream pie (Wow! I had a taste) and Frank and I split the bread pudding.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday was a great suggestion, Liz. Thank you. And thanks to Deirdre for the wonderful hospitality during our visit.

Kool Beanz

2011-10-19T16:17:00.000-04:00

When in Tallahassee, FL try Kool Beanz Cafe. Frank and I had dinner there last Monday and had a very nice meal in a cool funky setting. People were waiting on the patio for a table by the time we left. The restaurant was packed attesting to it's #3 out of 242 Trip Advisor rating in Tallahassee.

We started with a shared appetizer of Escargot in a garlic butter sauce - very good. Frank followed this with the Boneless Duck Breast in an Ancho-Cranberry sauce which he enjoyed. I opted for the Linguini, with crawdads, tasso ham, mushrooms, roasted garlic cream sauce - which was very good but could have used a few more crawdads. However there was definitely enough food on the plate.

The decor was bright and colorful, the food was very tasty, and the service was good. We recommend Kool Beanz Cafe.

CORRECTION to "The Spoon is Still Saucy" post

2011-10-06T09:30:00.001-04:00

I made an error in my post yesterday about the Saucy Spoon. The special wine paring dinner was on Tuesday September 27, not Monday the 26th. They are normally closed on Tuesday except for special events like this.. Bottom line, the Saucy Spoon is open on Monday and closed on Tuesday. (Thanks to Carol for catching this error)

Check the Saucy Spoon website to verify opening hours and days.

The Spoon is Still Saucy

2011-10-05T19:47:00.000-04:00

My last visit to Saucy Spoon was in November 2010 when it was in a different location and only open part time. They are now downtown and open 6 days a week, I happened to be visiting friends in Mount Dora who suggested we go to the Saucy Spoon at their recently opened downtown location for a special 6 course menu with Wine Parings on Monday September 26, (normally not open on Mondays). This was a special event so might not be a fair comparison, but from the time we opened the door until we left a couple of hours later, everything was wonderful.
As in my prior visit, the food and service were both great. The nice wine parings were coordinated with Maggie's Attic (also in downtown Mount Dora). A representative was present to discuss each wine and answer questions.

The new space is very nice, warm and inviting. A nice evening all around and I will definitely make a return visit.

The following is the menu from the dinner:

Fresh Mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto and basil topped with a Balsamic drizzle

Served with Ruffino Proseco

Artisan Greens with Smokey Blue Cheese, Blackberries, and caramelized onions and white balsamic dressing.

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc (Spit Fire vineyards)

Salmon en Papillote

Hogue Reserve Chardonnay

Pork with Port Wine Cherry Sauce

Simi Pinot Noir

Beef Tenderloin Medallion with nutmeg-coffee rub

Franciscan Magnificat (Meritage Oakville Estate)

Pear & Blue Cheese Tart

Inniskillin Pearl Vidal Ice-wine

M-I-C-K-E-Y

2011-09-15T21:00:00.000-04:00

MOUSE

We paid a visit to the House of Mouse last weekend for a two night stay at the Wilderness Lodge. We didn't spend any time in the parks, just a relaxing visit to the lovely hotel. We were hoping for cooler weather in the Pacific Northwest, but of course we were only in central Florida. However the hotel was always chilly, so I guess we got our cooler weather after all. Nor do we have any pictures from this journey. But we did enjoy some good food, which should be no surprise to our friends and readers of this blog.

We started the weekend with a drink in the Territory Lounge in the hotel where we enjoyed a couple of drinks and shared a wonderful cheese plate. The plate included a Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese, a Smoked Gouda, and a Drunken Goat Cheese. We enjoyed it so much we went back the next evening. Oh, and the drinks were good too.

Friday night dinner was at Artist Point, the Wilderness Lodge's Signature restaurant which continues the Pacific Northwest theme of the hotel.

We shared The Chef's Garden Heirloom Tomato Salad with a Mozzarella Foam. The foam didn't add much to the salad, but the rest of the salad was very good. For my main course I ordered the Pan-seared Alaskan Halibut and Frank opted for the Pan-Seared Scallops. Both were very good. For dessert we shared a wonderful mixed berry cobbler.

Saturday was a very relaxing day. We had a quick breakfast at Roaring Fork (walkup - no table service). We relaxed and read on the rocking chairs in front of the massive lobby fireplace, before heading out to the Contemporary Hotel for lunch at Wave, a casual contemporary restaurant on the registration level of the hotel. I ordered the Bison Burger. While it is not as juicy as a ground chuck beef burger, it was very enjoyable with a nice flavor. Frank opted for a good Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich.

Back at the Wilderness Lodge, we spent the time relaxing and reading. Our dinner reservation at the California Grill on the top floor of the Contemporary Resort was for 9:25PM so we had plenty of time to kill. Early evening we found our way back to the Territory Lounge for a repeat of the night before, a drink and that great cheese plate.

Our reservation was late and the only time available after 8PM since I was hoping to be in the dining room in time for the fireworks at Magic Kingdom. If you are dining in the California Grill you can access an outdoor viewing area adjacent to the restaurant. Well it wasn't meant to be this day - the Magic Kingdom closed at 7 and the fireworks were cancelled.

That was OK as we had a very enjoyable meal and could still see all the lights around the WDW property while we dined.

For a starter, we shared Sonoma Goat Cheese Ravioli with Sun-dried Tomatoes, Pesto, Shiitake Mushrooms and Basal. Very nice. Frank ordered the Grilled Red Snapper served with crab risotto (really good). I enjoyed my entree of Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Goat Cheese Polenta --- yummy. We were both so full that we passed on desert,

This was a great relaxing getaway and worked out well as Frank had a trade show in Orlando on Friday. While Frank work at the trade show, I had a opportunity to visit my cousin Carolyn and her husband, Gary, for a few hours. We had a nice visit and a casual good lunch at First Watch. Thanks guys,

We both enjoyed the hotel, (my 2nd stay, and Frank's first). As usual we enjoyed the food, especially the two signature restaurants. No surprises there.

Cruise Phoographs

2011-08-31T17:18:00.000-04:00

Click on the Norwegian Sky to view album on Picasa.
Enjoy !

NCL Cruise - August 2011

The Sky is the Limit

2011-08-26T09:24:00.001-04:00

That would be the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Sky sailing out of Miami. This was a 3-night cruise from Miami with Saturday docked at NCL’s private beach island, Great Stirrup Cay. We spent that day onboard the ship relaxing, touring the ship some more and (of course) eating. Sunday we were in port at Nassau after a high-speed transit to Nassau. Someone on board had a medical emergency and the ship needed to be picking up speed to arrive earlier in Nassau. We went out on deck to watch the light chop go flying by.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this was my first cruise and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, I, who has resisted cruising for years, actually had a really good time. Thanks to Frank for his encouragement and prior experience on cruise ships for navigating us efficiently around the ship.

We arrived at the Miami port about 1PM and after check in, we were escorted to the Longboard Bar for a buffet lunch (hamburgers & fries) – nothing special. Now is probably a good opportunity to discuss some of the dining options. Other than the hamburger from the buffet, the food was universally good, and service was outstanding. Since NCL offers 3 specialty restaurants as part of their “Freestyle Dinning Option”, after lunch we reserved our tables for the next three nights.

Friday Dinner: Le Bistro. The space was nicely decorated in a somewhat Victorian style and the entire restaurant was in a couple of long rooms reminiscent of a long elegant dining car. The food was very good. Frank had the Duo of Duck (duck breast and duck confit). He enjoyed it although the breast was slightly over cooked. I ordered the Bouillabaisse. The seafood was all cooked perfectly, however the broth was underwhelming, lacking in flavor. Oh what critics foodies we can be.

Before I continue, let me say our dinner “issues” were minor quibbles on preparation and flavor, nothing that would turn us away. Also the appetizers were really good in all three restaurants. I ordered Escargot, served in a typical escargot dish with plenty of garlic and butter.

Saturday Dinner: Il Adagio. I ordered a fried calamari appetizer, which was excellent. Very tender, and the right portion size for one. Unlike the trends in the US, the Sky served reasonably sized portions of all the food, which was a pleasant surprise (to us). I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara, which I rate with some of the best. Frank enjoyed the Seafood Fettuccine, again the seafood was properly cooked, especially the mussels according to Frank.

Sunday Dinner: Tonight we dined at Cagney’s Steak House. OMG, we both rate this as our best dinner of the three. I started with a bowl of Lobster Bisque. The bisque was perfect, with a nice creaminess and a WHOLE LOT of flavor; 5-stars on the bisque. Frank enjoyed a typical steak house Shrimp Cocktail with 5 or 6 large, tender shrimp. It was very good he reported. For our main course we both ordered the 5 oz. medium rare filet mignon served with a side of potatoes gratin. The beef was our pick for #1 item of all our meals. The filet was cooked perfectly medium rare throughout with a nice crust on the outside and was wonderful. I would go back for the Lobster Bisque and the steak. What time do we board?

Other meals: I will just run through our breakfast and lunch options, again by day.

Friday: Lunch: As mentioned earlier, lunch was at the Longboard Bar.

Saturday: Breakfast at The Palace, one of the main dining rooms:

Frank ordered classic Eggs Benedict and I ordered French Toast

Saturday: Lunch was at one of the buffets.

Sunday Breakfast was at Il Adagio, where they serve made to order omelets and waffles.

Sunday Lunch was split at two places. We had pizza at Il Adagio to start, and concluding with Hot Dogs and a beer at Longboard.

We quickly settled into a routine on board. Mid-afternoon usually included a short nap followed by a drink at one of the lounges. Our favorite quickly became the Plantation Club and our server, Ruel, who we ended up with for every visit. He remembered my name after one visit which I consider amazing and he, (like most of the staff) was always smiling. The other bars, such as the Pool Bar, the Atrium Bar, and Longboard all served good drinks but we preferred the décor and atmosphere of the Plantation Club to the others. The Plantation Club was offering 2-for-1 martinis (Frank’s choice). I opted for an Italian favorite, campari & soda. Drinks were usually followed with dinner, and then either some entertainment, a stroll around the ship or another drink.

The highlight of the entertainment was a piano tribute to Billy Joel and Elton John. The pianist and singer (same person) was very good and we enjoyed the performance. The last night after dinner we went to the main theatre (large and ornate) for a staff variety show. It was interesting but no wow factor.

Saturday we were in port at Great Stirrup Cay, which we did not plan on visiting, so we made it a relaxing day on-board ship. We went to the library to play a crossword puzzle and a Sudoku. The temperature in the library was very cold so we decided go to the deck to read for a while, as we did on Sunday after the visit to Nassau. Frank then managed to win $40 at the slots, while I managed to lose $30. Of course on Sunday, Frank lost his $40 and I again managed to lose my daily betting limit (self-imposed).

After lunch at a buffet and a post-lunch drink at the Pool Bar and a nap we went to the spa for our appointments that we booked earlier in the day. I had a facial – ooh very nice. Frank enjoyed a manicure – he didn’t want to leave.

Nassau:

Sunday was a day in Nassau. We had booked a NCL promoted land tour in a 22-passenger bus. We opted for a riding tour to a couple of historic forts and a local museum, The Junkanoo Museum. What is that you ask? So happy you did. To quote from Bahamas Getaway.

“Junkanoo is a Bahamian festival that occurs during the dark hours of morning on the 26th of December and again bringing in its first hours of light on the first day of the New Year.” The museum was in an old Bahamian house operated by a husband and wife who grew up here and are active participants in the Junkanoo festivities. She makes all her own costumes, which remind me of Mardi Gras or the Philadelphia Mummers Parade – very colorful and ornate.

We next stopped at Fort Fincastle and the Queen’s Staircase (all 65 steps). It as an impressive accomplishment considering is was chiseled out of solid limestone by slaves in 1793

I did not climb the stairs (nor descend them). Due to my fatigue problems I did not attempt the stairs; even the tour guide and Frank recommended I not do it.

The driver took us through some very low-income residential neighborhoods on the way to the next stop, which is always eye opening and sad to see.

Our final stop was Fort Charlotte, the largest of the three forts in Nassau. Here I DID get off the bus and go down a flight of stairs to the dungeon then back up to where the mini-bus was parked. That caused me some fatigue and weakness problems. Instead of lunch in Nassau we opted (Frank insisted) that we head back to the ship so I could rest a bit. It was the right thing to do.

On Monday morning, before disembarking, we had breakfast at Il Adagio. Pancakes and Omelets. It was a nice way to begin the day and the long drive back to St. Petersburg.

Being my first cruise I wasn’t sure what to expect, but this 3-day trip was a great way for me to decide if cruising is for me. I would answer with a definite YES. I enjoyed the ship, the staff was great, and I really liked the Freestyle dining options and the food. The ocean view room was very clean and nice, and bigger than those Frank had been on with Carnival. We even had a small sofa in the room. Thanks again to Frank for encouraging me to give cruising a try. I like it and hope to have the opportunity to go on another one – maybe the Mediterranean or the Baltic areas – let’s book it now!

Photographs to follow, probably next week.

First Photographs from the NCL Sky - Cruise to the Bahamas

2011-08-24T17:05:00.001-04:00

Here is a picture of our two cabin companions. On the left, the elephant, is Alphonse, representing all the drinks we had on the ship. No sure where the name came from, except when Frank asked me to name it, Alphonse was the first that came to mind.On the right is Mario, (we think it is a pig) which represents all the food we ate.

I have more photographs which I will post along with a summary of the cruise. As I mentioned before this was my first ever cruise, and I had a great time.

A New Journey

2011-08-18T20:33:00.000-04:00

It was 1962 when I moved to Florida from Ohio, following my parent to the snow-free, sunny Florida. Since that time, I can't tell you how many people have told me how much they enjoy cruises. In the past few years the interest in cruising has increased significantly (I have no factual data to support that, just more of my friends have taken cruises; Frank has been on two and has encouraged me to try it too). My friends Paul and Libby have made cruising as a means of reaching their travel trifecta; 7 continents, 100 countries, and 50 states. Check out the status of their quest on their blog - Paul and Libby's World of Travel.

But let's get back to today, or more importantly tomorrow. Frank and I are sailing on the NCL Sky out of Miami for my FIRST ever cruise. It is only a three night cruise to Nassau and Great Stirrup Cay, NCL's private beach island. This is a trial run for me; if I like cruising, I will consider others.

Fortunately the tropics look fairly clear for this weekend, always a risk when you sail during hurricane season.

I will report back to you when I get home next week. This is going to be a no-electronics tour... no laptop, no cell phones, no ebook readers - you get the idea.

My good friend, Deirdre sent me the following suggestions:

Try to remember the basics:

No Blackberries allowed (strawberries and blueberries are permissible)

Stay on the inside of the railing.

Don't spit into the wind.

And above all .....If the lifeboats are being let down - the hell with women and children.

Some good suggestions which I will try to follow.

New Apartment

2011-08-14T16:00:00.000-04:00

I know you have seen this shot before, but if you click on it, you will be taken to the Picasa album with all (11) pictures from the new apartment - all in one spot.

Skyline Fifth

One More Photograph

2011-08-07T17:27:00.001-04:00

This may be the last photograph of the apartment interior. This one is of the study/red room/guest room with Paul Tuten's painting which he did just for this room (at the condo)

Study
"Untitled" by Paul Tuten

A few thoughts on the move.
1. While I was not looking forward to the move as I had become very comfortable at the rental condo, I feel very comfortable here after just a week. One thing that helped was being able to get all my stuff in this new space.
2. I think the space is actually cozier.
3. Paolo and Lucia adjusted relatively quickly to the change.
4. The move went well and relatively easy. The movers were good, but a little slower than expected. I'll take good and careful over speed.
5 I have a nice 5th floor view of West St. Petersburg, not quite to the beach.
6. I still have BrightHouse Cable and Internet service, which is good, considering the option
7. There are trash chutes at either end of the hall on each floor.
8. The complex has a nice pool area, workout room, and social room with a full kitchen.
9. The dish washer is next to the sink, instead of across the kitchen like the old place. Notice it only too a week to be the "old" place.
10. Have I mentioned I like the new space.
11. We have dry cleaning and laundry pick up and delivery service

A few negative;
1. There is no covered parking. I do miss the garage, especially when it rains and the heat index is 103F like today
2. The washer and drier are apartment-sized. Smaller that normal capacity.
3. Carpet, no hardwood floors but I can live with that.

That's All I'm Saying (for now)

More Photographs from New Apartment

2011-08-04T20:30:00.001-04:00

Here are 4 more photographs from the new abode.

The Buffet

Tuscan Sun Descending by Peter Stilton

Peter's Poem to Accompany the Painting

The Study (aka Guest Room or Red Room)

No More Boxes

2011-08-03T19:51:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is true, all the boxes are unpacked and furniture is in place. The next major project is to arrange the kitchen drawers and cabinets. All items are placed "somewhere" in the kitchen, but I have to make sure I am comfortable where everything is placed.

Here are a couple of photographs ( not great shots, but there will be more), of the living room. I think my furniture in this smaller space is working out very well and I am very comfortable living here.

New Colors and the bookcases have been separated.

Paolo on the couch, and Peter Stilton's "Tuscan Sun Descending"

Unpacking

2011-08-02T13:53:00.000-04:00

The move on Friday was successful and the place is looking good thanks to Frank's organizational and decorating talents and his very hard work. I only have a couple more boxes to unpack; working on it a little at a time as I still get very fatigued quickly. I need to also thank Biff and Butch for their packing and unpacking help. All three were responsible for making this a successful move.

I am already comfortable in the new digs, and I think Paolo and Lucia are slowly adjusting. In a few more days everything should be put away and ready for some photographs. So stay tuned.

Boxes, Boxes, Everywhere

2011-07-27T13:48:00.000-04:00

Moving day is Friday

That's All I'm Saying

Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!

2011-07-24T21:03:00.002-04:00

When I lived in Seminole Heights (Tampa) 3-years and more ago, there was a good pizza restaurant only a few blocks from my home. We would go to the restaurant since the pizza was good, (especially the New York style crust -my personal favorite), and we could walk to the restaurant. They also offered a Chicago Deep-Dish pie. The pizzeria is called Cappy's.

I have lived in St. Pete for 3 years and I have frequently driven by the St, Petersburg version of Cappy's on 1st Ave N and 29th St, but had not eaten there until Saturday evening. This location (in the Kenwood area of St. Pete), and the one in Seminole Heights are located in similar Craftman style neighborhoods. Frank and I met Bob G., Bob S. and Clyde for another birthday dinner - this one for Frank. But Bob S. and Clyde also have birthdays but did not want any formal recognition/celebration. Too bad, they got cards anyway. ;-)

Frank, Bob S. and I shared a New York style pizza with fresh tomatoes, sausage, and mushrooms, while Clyde and Bob G split a Chicago-style "Cappy's special. (Bob what were the toppings?)

Regardless the pizzas were very good, although the wine was mediocre. Overall it was a nice evening with good friends and another "not-so-new" restaurant to check off the list.

Happy Birthday to Frank, Bob S. and Clyde.

Oh, and before I forget, Cappy's is in my new neighborhood - about 9 blocks or so. So I will be back.

Time for a Change

2011-07-18T21:05:00.000-04:00

Almost 3 years ago, I move to downtown St. Petersburg and fell in love with the urban experience almost immediately. I still enjoy the downtown life with all the restaurants and bay front close by. A couple of months after I moved in I found out that my leased condo unit had been on the market since February 2008. This spring I learned that the unit was listed for a short sale. Although the sale is still pending I cannot renew the lease, as the potential owners want to live in the unit, and not lease it out. So I started looking for another place to live. Finding a place in the downtown area proved to be more difficult that I ever expected. Availability in my acceptable price range was almost non-existent.

So, I will be moving to a new apartment in the next couple of weeks. It is an older 11-story apartment building, which just reopened after a 30 - million renovation. While it is 3 miles from downtown, it had the space to hold my furniture and was in my price range. It will work out just fine, and I will be the first tenant in this unit, so that is good. I will post another blog after I get moved in.

Those who need my new address, will receive a separate email in a few days. I will be in the new location around August 1.

Two Headed Cat in St. Petersburg

2011-07-13T09:15:00.000-04:00

OK, just kidding, it is only Paolo (L) and Lucia (R) attached at the butt, pretending to be one cat with two heads.

Well they didn't pull that off very good - i think they need more practice.

Scans, Frank's Birthday Dinner, and North Carolina - a busy week

2011-07-07T13:50:00.002-04:00

I have been missing from the blogosphere for a few weeks only because I didn't feel I had anything of interest to post. But I have saved up a few items for this post.

1. I had my most recent MRI and CT scans the end of June. The great news came back last week - no new progression or new growths. So I get another 8 weeks break from exams and/or treatments.

2. Frank's birthday was last week and we celebrated at The Black Pearl on Main Street in Dunedin. This is a special occasion restaurant with a neat black and silver art deco interior. We started with a shared seared pork belly served over cheese grits - it was wonderful, may have been the highlight along with the dessert.

This was followed by a mixed green salad with a nice raspberry vinaigrette.

For our main courses, I opted for a twice cooked Long Island duckling served over rice and a cranberry and apple demiglace. Frank had a very nice beef stroganoff served over spaetzle.

And for dessert a luscious tarte tatin, made to order, order early or allow extra time to prepare. The apples were thinly sliced baked with butter, brown sugar, spices and topped with puff pastry. It was a work of art. and tasty as well.

3. The next morning we flew to Asheville, NC and a short drive to Maggie Valley for the annual family gathering and to celebrate my brother's birthday. Ah, it was much cooler than St. Petersburg; a nice change. My niece and nephews rented a nice 3 bedroom, plus loft space, log house, high up on the mountain side overlooking the valley. It had great views and cool breezes. We had a good time with my slightly crazy family. I think at one point there were 20 people in the cabin for meals.

Frank and I skipped out a couple of afternoons to visit Asheville and Highlands. I would like to spend more time in Asheville - it is unlike any other town in North Carolina (at least from my experience). It has a great historic downtown area loaded with restaurants, art galleries, and shops. The Highlands business district on the other hand, is about 6 blocks long, but is filled with nice shops and restaurants. We stopped at Wolfgang's Restaurant and Wine Bistro for a glass of wine and a mid afternoon appetizer. (We are always attracted to any place that has bistro in the name). I had a bowl of Shrimp and Lobster Bisque and Frank had a trio of fish tacos. Both were very good.

We arrived at TPA yesterday afternoon after a very busy, but enjoyable, 4 days in Maggie Valley.

Boston Photographs Are Ready

2011-06-15T15:35:00.000-04:00

The Boston photographs have been posted on Picasa. Please click on the New Statehouse photograph in the right sidebar to view the album.

Animals in Boston

2011-06-10T11:56:00.000-04:00

I am almost ready to post the Boston photographs on Picasa with a link to them from this blog. But until all is ready here are a couple of animal pictures from the trip.

The Famous Swan Boat
in the Boston Public Garden

Make Way for Ducklings
Boston Public Gardens

I must give credit to Frank for the photographs from Boston. He took almost all of the photographs on this trip. Good job, my friend.

Teaser Pics from Boston

2011-06-07T12:50:00.000-04:00

Fanueil Hall

Trinity Church

Weekend Restaurants

2011-06-06T18:00:00.001-04:00

Weekends are a good time to meet friends and try new restaurants. This past weekend was no different as we dined at two restaurants we had not dined at before.

On Saturday, we joined Shane and Sue for dinner in Safety Harbor at a cute old house turned Green Springs Bistro. Amazingly it has been in existence for 10 years, and we had never been there. Sue and Shane have talked it up for many months, and we were finally able to schedule and reschedule a date for dinner.

To start, the four of us shared two Blue Crab Cake appetizers. They were very good with lots of crab meat and limited amount of filler. For our main courses we had; Sausage, Shrimp & Grits (Frank); Sesame-crusted Mahi-Mahi (Sue); and Pesto-seared Shrimp and Scallop Risotto. (Shane and me). The food was very good all around. For dessert, Shane and Sue shared a sinfully large chocolate cake and Frank and I shared their specialty, a Raspberry and Blue Berry Cobbler, a much more manageable portion size.

My only minor quibble (and this is my personal taste), the risotto could have used a little more salt or seasoning. The shrimp and scallops were fine, just the pesto risotto needed another pinch.

The service was good, the place is cute and a little on the funky side. We enjoyed the company, the food, and Green Springs Bistro and we will return.

Sunday found us with "15 minutes of fame" Bob G and friends to celebrate Bob's birthday. We all met at Rib City, a national chain (9 states) which started in Fort Myers Florida. I believe that most of us ordered the baby back ribs (1/2 or full rack), except Frank who had a pulled pork sandwich. I must say the ribs were very tasty and fall-off-the-bone tender. Service was good here too.

We had two nice evenings with small groups of friends sharing good food and conversation.

By the way: Happy Birthday Bob !!!

Boston - Hits and Misses

2011-06-01T15:43:00.000-04:00

Back by popular demand, our wrap up of the highlights and lowlights of our latest trip. This time, hits and misses of Boston.

Sights
Hit (Frank) - The Trolley Tour of the Freedom Trail. We got to cover a lot of ground, see a lot of things (comfortably), and the guide was informative and funny.

Hit (Dick) - Trinity Church. I loved the Tiffany era stained glass, and the Romanesque-style architecture.

Miss (Frank) - Quincy Market. It may have been a historic market place at one time, but is not much more than a glorified shopping mall now.

Miss (Dick) - I agree 100%. Unless you are a history buff, skip it.

Food
Hit (Frank) - Everyplace we went was good, but nothing was great. Oddly enough, I really enjoyed the tuna tartare and the cosmopolitans at the Top of the Hub. Yes, tuna tartare and cosmos are cliches, and yes, high altitude dining spots can be long on atmosphere and low on dining points, but this place hit it right on all notes, and gets a thumbs up from me.

Hit (Dick) - I agree on Top of the Hub, but overall, my fave is Brasserie Jo. My rotisserie chicken crepe with a creme sauce was very good, flavorful, and satisfied a jones I had on for chicken pot pie for weeks!

Miss (Frank) - Ristorante Fiore on Hanover Street. It was a nice place, food (Italian) was ok. But it seemed like one of those places that didn't have to try very hard, and it showed.

Miss (Dick) - Sam Snead's. This is actually at the Tampa Airport, but STILL was the WORST hamburger I probably have ever had. They will only cook it medium or well done.

Frank - Actually, there is only one option...cremated.

Moments
Hit (Frank) - For me, it was the moment I ran into a mother and her grown daughter in the Public Garden. I was taking a picture of the Make Way for Ducklings statue. The adult daughter sheepishly walked over to the mother duck statue, and sat on top of it. Her mother explained to me, as she was taking a photo, that she had taken that same shot of her daughter when she was five, and wanted one of her all grown up . I thought it was kind of neat.

Hit (Dick) - Being awed about how clean and impressive a city Boston is. It's historic, modern, and full of interesting neighborhoods. I couldn't believe the lack of grafitti (downtown at least).

Miss (Frank) - Being in Boston knowing that the Lightning lost to the Bruins the night we arrived.

Miss (Dick) - Not having enough time to walk around the North End. I want to go back and explore all my peeps in this Italian neighborhood.

Last minute comments:

*Sheraton Boston Hotel is a nice option in the Back Bay.
*Comments about how rude Bostonians are (cab drivers in particular) are way off base. People seemed friendly and helpful in general.
*Service in restaurants tended to be slower than what we usually are accustomed to.
*May is a good time to go to Boston. City is just lovely.

That's all we are sayin'

No Quacking Here - Sunday in Boston (Version 2 including photograph)

2011-05-31T21:11:00.009-04:00

As many tourists cities do now, Boston is no different. All over town you see these amphibious bus/boat combinations with passengers outfitted with duck noise makers - quackers. i personally find 25 people riding by me sounding like a bunch of ducks very annoying, so we took the Freedom Trail Trolley Tour, no quackers allowed. Our original plan was to walk as much of the 2.5 mile Freedom Trail as possible, but this morning we decided to ride the trail on the Trolley due to my fatigue levels. After a taxi ride to Quincy Market, you remember that historic market place (like shopping mall food court) overrun with tourists., we purchased our tickets on the City Trolley Tours, what appears to be one of the two main trolley tour companies. Anyway, the tour was very good and the driver/guide was very funny. We would be driving and he would spot someone who looked like someone famous, such as Adam Sandler, and he would alert us that Adam Sandler was in town this weekend and point to the guy. Ok, guess you had to be there, Still better than the quackers. But I digress.

In addition to the sites we saw yesterday we also saw more of the city, and the area north of the river (aka "sea" in the Paul Revere poem.), including Bunker Hill and the Constitution war ship. Trivia Question: Where was the Battle of Bunker Hill fought? This was asked by our driver/guide, and Frank was the only person on the trolley who knew the answer. Most of the fighting was on Breed's Hill. Way to go Frank for paying attention in history class.

We could see the Old North Church very clearly from the north side of the river (as could Mr.. Revere and others who were waiting for the "one if by land, two if by sea" moment.

The tour concluded back at Quincy Market and we headed back to the hotel for lunch at Brasserie Jo. We had a lovely lunch, and probably in my opinion one of the best meals we had of the weekend. I enjoyed a wonderful crepe with rotisserie chicken in a cream and pea sauce. The flavor was great. Frank enjoyed a Salade Frisée Lyonnaise with bacon and poached egg. Very nice.

i went back to the hotel to rest up and relax while Frank went to the Boston Commons and the Public Gardens area to scout around. I saw the park earlier and it is lovely. When Frank came back we took the T to Kenmore Park, a nice residential area near Fenwick Park (think Boston Red Socks). It was a nice excursion to another area of the city. We both really like the different residential areas. Most in the old city are multi-story brick row homes on tree lined streets. Very nice, I say.

As is our custom, we went to the hotel bar for our pre-dinner drink. Following that we cabbed it to Paul Revere's house in the North End (Italian neighborhood). There was a crowd of camera clickers standing in front of the house; I guess waiting for a shot of Mr. Revere and his horse. But, no luck today; He was probably out looking for more lanterns, Below is a photograph of the house... still standing after all these years.

The house is in the North End, the Italian Neighborhood, where we were told to stop in any restaurant and you will get a good meal. So we stopped at Ristoranti Fiore, which we saw recommended in our tour book. We shared a nice antipasto plater, and I opted for a special pasta, (Bombolotti alla Vodka, their own creation, with small chunks of fresh lobster meet) while Frank ordered the Garganelli all Salmone , pasta tossed with salmon and basil in a tomato cream sauce. While the meal was good it doesn't compare to some of our favorite Italian Restaurants in Tampa and St. Pete, like Vino e Pasta and Primi Urban Cafe, but we are spoiled and biased. To conclude the meal, we shared a wonderful Cannoli, a gold star effort, very simple, basic cannoli which was not overly sweet.

End of Sunday.

Quack

Saturday Afternoon - Boston

2011-05-30T21:53:00.000-04:00

I returned home this evening (Monday). I wrote the following on the plane and figured I would post it since I obviously am behind. I will catch up over the next couple of days.

The story continues...

After lunch at the Union Oyster House we headed back to the hotel for an afternoon rest, which I needed. After the brief rest, we headed back to the T, as they call the underground metro system. The stations are clean, as was all of Boston that we saw. I don't recall seeing any graffiti in town.

Our next stop was Copley Square and Trinity Church, a Romanesque style church with a large, beautiful collection of stained glass windows. Unfortunately, a three panel set of windows in the back of the church which were on Frank's must see list, were out for restoration. A good reason to return.

We boarded the T again for a short ride back to the Prudential Center, adjacent to the Sheraton. We decided it was time for a post-sightseeing, pre-dinner refreshment at the Top of the Hub on the 52nd story of the Prudential Center. My mojito was very good as was Frank's Cosmopolitan. The best part of the stop was the Yellow-fin Tuna Tartar.

Dinner tonight was at Todd English's moderately price restaurant called Figs. It was in a very old building like many of the restaurants are in Boston. The place has a great reputation. He is the owner of Blue Zoo in Orlando, probably one of the best dining experiences I have enjoyed
At Figs we shared a very large thin-crusted pizza with Figs, Prosciutto, and Gorgonzola cheese. It was very good combination of flavors, but we thought it would have been even better with fewer figs and more Gorgonzola, but who are we to tell Todd how to prepare his pizza.

The downside of dinner was the temperature level in the dining area. Everyone in our section was sweating or fanning themselves with a menu.

The upside, beside the pizza, was that we were seated within 10 minutes of arrival with no reservations. Frank called the week before to make reservations only to be told that they do not take them. But, they do have a call ahead list. Frank asked it they would put us on the list for 7PM on Saturday, thinking that would never happen. When we walked in the hostess said it would be 1 hour before they could seat us. We then mentioned the call ahead list, and sure enough we were on it. 10 minutes we were seated in a table overlooking the activity on the street.

End of story.

Lightning Vs. Bruins

2011-05-29T09:52:00.001-04:00

I awoke this morning in the Sheraton Back Bay in downtown Boston, which was a good thing since that is where I went to bed last night. We flew up last evening while the Tampa Bay Lightning battled the Boston Bruins in game 7 of the semifinal found of the Stanley Cup. It wasn't until this morning that we learned that Boston had been victorious. But in my opinion the Lightning had a good run at it this year.

So were are in Boston, not for the game, but to sightsee this historic city for Memorial weekend. Our first objective today was to cover the Freedom Trail which is a walking trail linking a number of revolution sight. We made it part way through when I started to get fatigued. But we did manage to see new State House, Boston Commons and Boston Gardens, both beautiful parks. Next stop was the Old Granary Cemetery with the graves of Samuel Adams, he still makes pretty decent beer; John Hancock, sign here please; and Paul Revere, got a light?

We then took a cab to Faneueil Hall and Quincy Market. Faneueil is an old revolutionary meeting hall while Quincy Market currently like a shopping mall food court but 2 to 4 times as large and 10 times as crowded, too crowded!

We then had lunch at Union Oyster House, the oldest continuously operating in the US. I had clam chowder (good
but not great). Frank and I had lobster rolls, very good with probably a pound of lobster meat in each one.

------------/ Intermission /----------

It is Sunday morning and I have only covered through Saturday lunch. So I am going to take a break until I have more time to finish, which may be Tuesday.

But let me say we both love Boston. Nice, active, & interesting city.

Richard Simpson
http://theurbanflaneur.blogspot.com/

Sent from my iPhone

Another Cafe

2011-05-23T20:15:00.000-04:00

Last night, we met Carol, Lois, Alex, and Sandy for dinner at a "newer" restaurant in the Clearwater - Countryside area - Carmel Cafe. It is a nice space with primarily a tapas style menu. We ordered a number of tapas to share around the table. All were good, some much better than others. We had a Margareta flat bred, a goat cheese spread, Chick-pea fries, Red and Yellow Roasted Beets Salad, and a full order of Spinach Gnocchi bouillabaisse. The seafood in the bouillabaisse was nicely cooked, but the bouillabaisse lacked depth of flavor.

The downside of the evening was the wine tasting which filled the main room supported by a very loud band, and a singer who wasn't very good. They stopped about 1/2 way through our meal, and at that time the atmosphere improved greatly. Prior to that we were yelling down the table. A normal discussion was not possible.

Go to check it out for yourself, but determine if there will be entertainment that day. I would avoid the cafe if there is. However, there is outdoor seating with would avoid the noise issue.

Last Night's Lamb

2011-05-18T21:20:00.000-04:00

Found this recipe on the New York Times Website and made it last night. I love lamb (sorry Pat) and always willing to try new preparations. Don't be afraid to use the anchovies. I made a couple of additions which are noted in the following recipe. This was very easy, and exceptionally tasty.

Seared Lamb Chops With Anchovies, Capers and Sage

(Adapted from the New York Times)

Time: 35 minutes

6 baby lamb chops (1 1/4 pounds)

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 anchovy fillets

3 tablespoons drained capers (if you are not a big capers fan, I would cut this back to 2 tablespoons)

15 sage leaves

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

[My additions: Splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and a pat of butter to finish the sauce]

Lemon wedges, for serving.

1. Rinse the lamb chops and pat them dry. Season them with salt and pepper, and let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Over medium-high heat, warm a skillet large enough to hold all the chops in one layer. Add the oil and when it shimmers, add the anchovies and capers. Cook, stirring, until the anchovies break down, about 3 minutes.

3. Arrange the lamb chops in the skillet and fry, without moving them, until brown, about 3 minutes. Turn them over, and toss the sage leaves and pepper flakes into the pan. Cook until lamb reaches the desired doneness, about 2 minutes for medium-rare. {I had to finish for about another 4 minutes in the over to reach medium rare.

4. Arrange the chops on serving plates. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1 minute,

5. Deglaze the pan with some white wine, let reduce slightly.

6. Finish the sauce with a tablespoon of butter, once melted and incorporated with the sauce; then spoon the sauce over the lamb. Serve with the lemon wedges.

Yield: 2 servings.

Steps 5 and 6 are my additions

On the other end of the dining spectrum today I made my first visit to Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I met my friend Bob and some other friends for their weekly lunch. The burger is actually two juicy patties with whatever toppings you desire. They were good. The french fries are also good, nice and crispy, but a word of caution; the portions are large, and one regular order would easily serve 2 people.

Framed Finally

2011-05-13T17:52:00.000-04:00

Last November, my friends, Paul & Libby, gave me a wonderful limited edition print by Victor Vasarely. You can read my original post and see a picture of the unframed work by clicking here.

But even better is the framed version which was hung in the red room this past week. I am really please with the finished product and again thank Paul & Libby for their kind generosity.

Mount Dora Weekend

2011-05-08T20:50:00.001-04:00

As further proof of my continuing recovery from the last treatment, Frank and I went to Mount Dora this weekend to visit our good friend Carol. This is the first time I have been away overnight since I was released from Moffitt in January. For those of you who do not receive my email "blast" with my medical updates, my last CT scan results was wonderful news - no new tumors and no progression of the existing ones.

OK, so let's move on to the weekend and the food. We arrived about noon, and soon thereafter we headed to Tavares, FL for lunch at Al's Landing. Tavares has done a nice job of fixing up their lakefront and adding a couple of restaurants. Al's overlooks the lake and offers a variety of sandwiches and salads. It was a nice day so we opted to sit outside in the shade. I had a very acceptable grilled portobello and gouda burger, Frank had a crab cake, and as usual, I forgot what Carol ordered. The entertainment for lunch was a jet ski race on the lake; can you say noisy. But is was only for part of the meal, and we had a good time anyway.

Later in the day we walked into Mount Dora from Carol's condo for a glass of wine at Maggie's Attic, cute wine and beer shop in downtown. It was a little too much exertion for me, but I made it back to Carol's for a short nap before dinner.

Jim and Georgiann, friends from Orlando, came up to join us to watch the Kentucky Derby before heading to Eustis for dinner at a cute Italian restaurant in old downtown Eustis - Cafe Gianni. Eustis is another small central Florida town that has spruced up their downtown and lakefront to increase the appeal to locals and tourists alike. We enjoyed Cafe Gianni for its good, reasonable priced Italian fare. Although (sorry Carol) I don't think it was quite up to the standards of Primi Urban Cafe in St. Pete or Vino e Pasta in Tampa. But is was very good food in a cute space in downtown Eustis, For entertainment we had a harp player playing a wide variety of music, including "Stairway to Heaven" and other non-harp classics. It was a fun evening with good friends and good food. I ordered a very tasty rigatoni bolognese. Frank and Carol each ordered the Penne alla Vodka. Jim had very good linguini with clams in a white sauce. And if memory doesn't fail me again, Georgiann had Spaghetti alla Norma (with eggplant). (Correct me if I am wrong on that)

We went to Lakeside Inn for Sunday brunch sitting on the long front porch enjoying a cooling breeze and lower humidity. The buffet brunch had something for everyone, from waffles to roast beef and more. It was your typical resort Sunday brunch, a little pricey and way too much food. (OK, no one was forcing me to eat, but eat I did). The food was good and the setting was lovely. Here is a photo that was taken at brunch today.

That's all I'm Saying (and eating for today).

Taco Bus, Si; Cassis, No

2011-05-01T15:04:00.001-04:00

This weekend we had two dramatically different dining experiences. Today, we had lunch at The Taco Bus on Central Avenue, our very own fixed location food truck. The Tampa Taco Bus has been in operation a number of years serving long lines of locals. The St. Petersburg location opened a few months ago, also to lines of customers. I enjoyed two fish tacos with rice and re-fried beans. Frank had the vegan burrito. Both were very good. You order at the bus, and the food to brought to your table. The price is more than reasonable and the food tasty and fresh - I will definitely return to the Taco Bus.

On the other end of the spectrum yesterday, we took Frank's Mom to a birthday lunch at Cassis American Brasserie on Beach Drive in Downtown St. Petersburg. A small group of us had lunch there last year, and we felt the food unremarkable considering the nice upscale decor and the pricing. This time I was even more disappointed. The food was ok, but not memorable, and the service was slow and inattentive. We will probably not return especially since our beloved St. Petersburg Brasserie is just up the street and offers far superior French food and service.

A brief run-down of our selections at Cassis:
Me: Duck Confit: nice and tender, properly cooked, but way to SALTY. Side Caesar - bland

Frank's Mom: Cassis Cheeseburger (typical), with a side Caesar and another side of Creamed Spinach. She declared the spinach too soupy

Frank; Side Caesar, Steak Tartare (lacking in flavor) and Frites (French Fries - the best item we had)

Overall, our second try at Cassis was a disappointment, especially from the service standpoint. We will stick with St. Petersburg Brasserie for our French dinning in St. Petersburg.

That's all I'm Saying!

Roast that Chicken

2011-04-25T09:23:00.000-04:00

Over the weekend Frank came down and we made a "Honey and Lemon Glazed Roast Chicken using a "Patagonian" recipe from Food and Wine magazine. It was very easy, which we like, and very tasty.
The recipe serves 8, adjust as needed. We fixed one chicken for the two of us.

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Three 3-pound chickens
Salt
9 large rosemary sprigs
9 garlic cloves, quartered
1 lemon, cut into 12 wedges
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 450°. In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and soy sauce. Set the chickens on a large rimmed baking sheet and tuck the wing tips underneath. Season the cavities with salt and stuff each one with 3 rosemary sprigs, 3 quartered garlic cloves and 4 lemon wedges. Brush two-thirds of the honey glaze over the chickens and season lightly with salt. Roast in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 325°. Rotate the chickens in the pan and brush with the remaining glaze. Roast the chickens for about 45 minutes longer, until the juices run clear when the thighs are pierced; turn the pan halfway through roasting. Transfer the chickens to a carving board and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chickens and serve.

We also met our friends Rich and Craig for dinner at P.F. Changs last week - nice to see them.

For lunch one day, I met my friend Bob at The King and I, a nice Thai restaurant in downtown St. Petersburg.

And finally, Frank and I made a return visit to Primi Urban Cafe. I had the always tasty Wild Mushroom ravioli in a wild mushroom, butter and sage sauce. Yummy.

Restaurant Weekend

2011-04-14T15:18:00.000-04:00

Finally, I am regaining my appetite thanks to the magic Dr. W's elixir. I saw more restaurant interiors this past weekend than I have is a long time - that is all good. So here is a quick run-through beginning with an at-home dinner on Friday. Frank came over and made his famous "retro" burgers (my term). They are simple, and always delicious.
Saturday we revisited an old favorite, Primi Urban Cafe. We have not dined there in a long time, partly due to a change of ownership, but we found the food equally as good as we remember. I had the ricotta ravioli with bolognese sauce which was delightful and tasty. I don't remember what Frank had, (feel free to add a comment...)
Sunday, Carol from Mount Dora arrived for a couple nights stay after dropping off her Brit friends and a couple from Mount Dora, at the Port of Tampa cruise docks to catch a 3- week repositioning cruise. It is always good to see Carol, and I didn't even make her cook this time. For dinner on Sunday, Carol and I went back to one of my old standbys - Cafe Alma. They have a nice variety on their menu including tapas, from which I selected a Tomato and Mozzarella Salad and a very good, tasty pair of Lump Blue Crab Cakes. If memory serves me correctly, (not always the case), Carol ordered the Seared Ahi Tuna Tapas. (Carol, any help would be appreciated.)
Monday we wanted to go to the Chihuly Collection (Carol had not visited the collection before, but she has been to more Chihuly exhibits than any one I know. Before visiting the collection, we stopped for lunch at 400 Beach Drive Seafood and Tap House. Carol ordered the grilled grouper sandwich and I selected the Shrimp BLT which included Blue Cheese, Applewood Smoked Bacon, toasted pumpernickel and more. I am going back for another one.
Finally, Monday evening Carol, Frank and I tried Grazzi, recently relocated from Bay Walk plaza after a 2 to 4 month delay. They took over the old Pacific Wave space on 2nd St. South. I ordered the Chicken Marsala, which was tasty, but wasn't a Marsala sauce. While good, it is always disappointing when you get something pretending to be something else.
Whew... that is a long post, obviously I haven't been posting, but I thought you might find this restaurant wrap-up interesting. Do not expect a repeat this weekend.

Good Friends

2011-03-28T19:36:00.001-04:00

This past weekend our good friends from Atlanta, Liz (as in "Never trust a skinny cook" blog fame), her gracious husband Henry, and their oldest son, Andy, were in town to watch a couple spring training games. Well, Henry and Andy were here for the spring training games, a long time wish for Henry. Liz claimed she was here researching the Tampa restaurant scene. I will let Liz summarize her findings if she cares to do so. I do know we had a lovely dinner on Saturday at Vino e Pasta, as you know is one of my favorite restaurants.

We had a lovely evening reminiscing about the "old" times and catching up on new happenings. It is always a fun evening when you are out with Liz and Henry, and it was nice seeing Andy after far too many years.

Thanks guys for a lovely evening.

Lobster and More Lobster

2011-03-21T20:06:00.001-04:00

We do not eat lobster very ofter, but this past weekend found me dining twice on lobster. My dear cousin, Shirley, shipped two lobster tails and two steaks from Omaha Steaks. This was a very kind and generous gift. So, Saturday, Frank and I fixed the two tails with asparagus. They were excellent, very tasty and just the right size. Of course in my normal eating mode which I haven't recovered yet, I would have been tempted to do surf and turf. But the lobster was more than enough, especially since lobster is the best way to get melted butter to the mouth. Thank you Shirley for a lovely meal.

On Sunday we decided to go to 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House. It was a beautiful day for outside dining so we took a sidewalk table overlooking Straub Park and the bay beyond. But let's get back to the lobster. The first time I ate at 400 Beach I had the lobster roll and found it lacking in flavor. That was over a year ago, and since I already had lobster breath from the night before, I thought I would give it another chance. While this time it had slightly more seasoning, it still was fairly bland. No more lobster roll from 400 Beach for me. It was a far cry from Legal Seafood. (Among others I've had).

Quick Health Update: I continue to improve, but it seems far too slow of a recovery for me. But I am going in the right direction. I just need more energy.

Celebration

2011-03-07T08:24:00.001-05:00

To celebrate my outstanding scan results, I decided a nice dinner out was in order. So on Saturday night, Frank and I headed to Roy's in Tampa. While Roy's is part of the Outback Group of restaurants, it is based on the concept of Roy Yamaguchi's original Hawaiian restaurant with Hawaiian Fusion cuisine. We had wonderful dinners in a very nice setting.

Frank opted for the three course prix fixe options, selecting the Poached Pear and Pecan Salad, an entree of Olive Oil Seared Mahi Mahi, and Roy's Melting Hot Chocolate Soufflé for dessert.

I skipped the salad course, and ordered the Polenta Crusted Scallops for my main course. And not being able to resist, the Chocolate Souffle for dessert.

We had a very enjoyable dinner and a nice celebration.

More Good News

2011-03-03T19:59:00.000-05:00

While I continue to recover from the research trial in early January, the results are in. Both the MRI of the brain and CT scan of the torso so significant regression in tumors. This is really good news. That is two set of scans in a row with no new growth and regression in those that are there. It also means I don't see my oncologist for four weeks, (I really like my oncologist, but a break from our frequent appointments will be a welcomed break).

Oh, I am still cooking, but nothing significant. Just simple stuff with limited work effort.

That's all I'm saying.

Back in the Kitchen

2011-02-16T20:32:00.000-05:00

I usually judge my treatment recovery by when I feel ready to return to the kitchen and prepare a meal. Well, after weeks of having good friends prepare meals for me, I finally hit the kitchen last Monday. The meal wasn't fancy but it was a good feeling to be hovering over the stove top again. My dear friend, Deirdre, arrived from the Philadelphia area earlier in the day. I decided I would prepare dinner with her assistance. We fixed tilapia in a lemon butter sauce, and green beans. Simple, but tasty. And a major accomplishment in a long road to recovery.

Slow Return

2011-02-07T12:51:00.000-05:00

The month of January has been a blur, more like a blur in slow motion. After the first two weeks in the research trail at Moffitt including an extra week trying to get some of my results stabilized, I spent the rest of January resting, (as in sleeping) and just laying around the condo. I am finally starting to increase my activity level (not a lot) and eating much better. The appetite that had totally disappeared in January is finally returning. Obviously I must be feeling better if I am blogging again... unfortunately nothing interesting yet. So that is my update for now.

I would also direct your attention (and mouse) to "Paul & Libby's World of Travel" on the right side bar. They depart on another cruise journey, this time to South America and Antarctica,, this time with their 1 year old daughter. Paul's blogs are always interesting and fun to read. Take a look.

Clones

2011-01-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

Maybe our friend Carol was channelling my cell transfer when she created this photograph. Check the billboard on the right. Those who know us may recognize a couple characters from the movie (NOT).

Cool I say. And thanks for the smile, Carol.

Come Back to Daddy

2011-01-10T14:56:00.000-05:00

I usually don't post medical updates on my blog, leaving that for personal email "blasts" to family and friends. But I am making an exception today.

I am at Moffitt this week for the next research trial, called TIL. Last July one of my tumors was removed and cells harvested, grown in the lab and frozen until I was ready to have them transferred back to the my body.

Well, today is they day the cells come home. The cell transfer is scheduled for later today. This will be followed by a series of high-dose interlukin 2 treatments.

I don't expect to be making any further blog updates until I recover from the IL2 sessions, but I wanted to let you know why I was missing from the blogosphere.

Ciao for a week or so.

It is 2011

2011-01-01T20:39:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year. May 2011 be a good year for everyone. Keep eating, keep traveling, and keep smiling.

Last night was New Years Eve, and First Night in downtown St. Petersburg. First Night is a community celebration with entertainment at various venues around downtown, and two fireworks displays, one at 9 for those of us who can't make it to midnight.

Before Frank and I headed to First Night, he fixed a perfect, restaurant quality, Beef Tenderloin with Picon Cheese from Jose Andres', Made in Spain cookbook. Frank nailed the entree in every way. The tenderloin was nicely seared and cooked to a perfect medium-rare. The cheese, cider, and shallot sauce was rich and flavorful. He served it with oven-roasted asparagus.

Great work, Chef Frank

After dinner we walked to St. Peter's Cathedral to hear a selection of arias performed by members of St. Petersburg Opera Company, followed by a chamber music concert. Both concerts were very good, but the opera selections stood out with some outstanding voices.

Beef Tenderloin with Picon Cheese

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 pound beef tenderloin

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 shallot, thinly sliced

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1/4 cup sidra (Spanish hard cider - or other hard cider0

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 oz. Picon cheese (a Spanish blue cheese) or other good quality blue cheese

Sea Salt to taste

Chopped chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof saute pan over high heat. When the oil begins to smoke, add the tenderloin and sear on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the pan to thee oven and cook the tenderloin for 10 minutes or until it measures 130 degrees on a meat thermometer (for medium rare). Transfer the tenderoin to a platter and keep warm.

Carefully return the saute pan to the stovetop and heat over medium0high heat. Gently crush the garlic loves with the flat side of a kitchen knife and add them to the pan along with the shallot and thyme. Cook for 2 minutes then add the sidra and 2 tablespoons water to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the cream and 1 ounce of the Picon cheese. Keep stirring as the cheese melts into the sauce and the sauce begins to thicken, Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

Slice the tenderloin into 1/2-inch-thick medalions and arrange on 4 plates. Season with sal and spoon the cheese sauce over and around the medallions. Crumble the remainin 1 ounce Picon cheese over the medallions and garnish with chives.

Delayed Duck

2010-12-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

OOPS. I forgot to post our Christmas Eve dinner menu, so here it is (no recipes included)

Classic Shrimp Cocktail
Belgian Endive salad with blue cheese and olive oil dressing
Roast Duck with a Apple Cranberry Chutney (Stonewall brand) and port wine reduction
Oven roasted yukon gold potatoes, roasted in duck fat (soooo yummy)
Sauteed green beans with garlic and cherry tomatoes
and for dessert, gourmet cupcakes from Georgetown Cupcakes. (A Christmas gift from my employer).

It was a lovely tasty dinner shared with my good friend, Frank.

Vienna in the Snow

2010-12-23T19:45:00.001-05:00

Click on the photo to view a sampling of the photographs from our trip to Vienna.

Vienna in the Sno w

Holiday Greetings

2010-12-19T19:50:00.000-05:00

Ein Tisch für drei, bitte

2010-12-16T10:04:00.000-05:00

A table for three, please.

Who are these people trying to get a table at such an opulent restaurant.

Shirley, Frank and Dick

A teaser pic from Vienna

Klimt, Bosch, and Venus

2010-12-09T20:16:00.000-05:00

Since photography is not permitted in most art museums, I will not have photographs of some of the works we discussed in the posts from Vienna. So for your viewing enjoyment, here are three images pulled from Wikipedia. (click on image to enlarge)

Klimt - The Kiss

Venus of Willendorf

Bosch - The Last Judgement

Travel Rant

2010-12-09T11:03:00.000-05:00

Rant #1: The logistics of travel, in my opinion, is always difficult and I am usually pretty good about rolling with whatever the situation delivers. You really don't have much choice. But the travel experience can be better at some airports than others. I already ranted about Washington Dulles International Airport in an earlier post from the outbound journey. Well, the return visit wasn't any better. You cannot have a short layover in Dulles. We spent 2 hours from the time we deplaned to the time we were at our next gate for our Tampa flight negotiating lines, transports of various types, etc. While we did find a helpful United employee when we checked in for our ongoing flights (Shirley to Roanoke, VA and us to Tampa), so all is not bleak. But I nominate IAD, Washington Dulles, as the most inefficient airport I have ever visited.

Rant #2: Why don't we have consistent security and baggage standards worldwide?

Take off shoes in Tampa and Washington, don't take them off in Vienna
Carry-on baggage limitation is based on size in US, but we had to weigh our luggage in Vienna, and all three bags which arrived as carry-on had to be checked due to weight limitations. (Same aircraft type, and the plane still had to carry them)
Body scanners in US, none (noted) in Vienna

That's all I am saying.

Austria hits and misses

2010-12-09T10:18:00.001-05:00

Back by popular demand is our roundtable round-up of trip hits and misses, this time from Vienna. So here goes:
Hotel -
We only stayed at the Le Meridien, and it was a hit!
Some minor quibbles:
Frank - could have used a nightlite. The glass wall separating the bathroom from the main room was kind of a hazard
Dick - for me, the music in the lounge was too loud, especially the first night we stopped for an end-of-day drink.

Food -
Frank
Hit - italic. Awesome Northern Italian cuisine in a soothing modern space. And the chef is from..wait for it...Portugal? Oh well. It was great
Dick
Hit - I have to agree on italic. Everything was first rate from the ambiance to the service to the food.
Frank
Miss - Witwe Bolte. The authentic Viennese cuisine was fine...it was the dysfunctional staff that brought the whole thing down.
Miss - I have to agree with Frank on this one too. The restaurant is in a cute section of town, and the food was fine, but the attitude of the staff was off-putting.

Attraction
Dick
Hit - this is a tough one. We saw some wonderful concerts, museums, etc, it is difficult to pick just one. But, if I must, I think the most impressive thing I saw was the Venus of Willindorf. How often do you get to see a 25,000 year old statue. Just amazing.
Frank
Hit - The Secession Building and Gustav Klimt's Beethoven Frieze. Vienna is a riot of gorgeous architecture, but the Art Nouveau influenced Secession Building, with it's clean lines and nature-inspired elements, is a breath of fresh air amidst all the Baroque ornateness. Inside, Klimt's visualization of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is breathtaking in it's depth of humanity, it's inventive use of multi media, and it's powerful psychological themes.
Dick (again): can I have a second choice in this very difficult category? Seeing all of the Klimt's at the Belvedere was very impressive, especially two of his most famous works, The Kiss and Judith.
Dick
Miss - this is not really an "attraction" but I will add it here. A big "miss" for me was the ice and slush on the sidewalks and streets the first couple of days. It made walking difficult, especially while trying to look at the buildings and walk at the same time.
Frank
Miss - The "World Famous" Sacher Torte at the Sacher Hotel. Talk about dry! I need an IV line to bring my fluid levels back up just thinking about it!

Special Moments
Frank - seeing Vienna in the snow on the first day of our trip. The city was like a magical winter jewel. Beautiful.

Dick - I agree seeing Vienna in the snow was beautiful, but for me there was a specific magical moment. That was on leaving the hotel for dinner the first night and seeing the large snow flakes falling through the lights of the city. That added another layer of glitter to the snow covered city.

Odds and Ends
Frank (special mentions)
-the Cafe Moet at the Meridien Hotel. Whoever came up with the idea of a cafe that combines coffee, small noshes and champagne in one spot is a Mozart level genius.
-Booking the night prior to our arrival at the hotel so we could get in our room and rest. God bless you, Richard.
-the Austrian Air pilot who landed us safely through heavy fog onto a snowy, icy runway in Vienna.

Dick: The landing was amazing wasn't it. We thought we were still well off the ground in the clouds/fog, but we touched down and it still looked like we were in the clouds. But no, just a foggy heavy snow storm.
- Le Meridien was a great, albeit a little pricey, hotel right in the city center. It was well worth the splurge for its level of service, amenities, hip style, and location.

Somewhere Over the North Atlantic

2010-12-09T10:11:00.000-05:00

Our journey home has begun. We departed Vienna airport about 10:30 this morning, 4:30 AM Eastern time and we are approximately 5 hours from Washington DC as I type this. However it may not get posted until I get home.

Yesterday, Tuesday, our last full day in Vienna, started as another bright, sunny, blue-sky lovely day. Shirley ventured out on a shopping trip while Frank and I headed to the Academy of Fine Arts to see Hieronymus Bosch's somewhat disturbing trip-tych "The Seven Dearly Sins". Bosch uses a combination of humans and animals to show humanity's progress from the Garden of Eden through life and on to hell. There is a lot going on in a Bosch painting.

The rest of the afternoon we spent walking the pedestrian areas of the center city, with another look at St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the lovely tiled roof, this time not partially obscured by snow. We stopped for lunch at Demel, a famous Viennese bakery and cafe. While we ate, we could watch the bakers work in the kitchen. Great fun!

Dinner was at italic, the same restaurant where we had lunch on the first day. We enjoyed our lunch so much, we decided to cap off the trip with a wonderful dinner at the same restaurant. It was so worth it. We shared an appetizer of smoked salmon with seaweed salad. For our main course Shirley and I opted for the grilled prawns in butter and garlic. The prawns were large and perfectly cooked. Shirley had a side of parmesan risotto and I had roasted potatoes. Both were nice accompaniments to our meals. Frank enjoyed the branzino, a nice white fish which was sautéed and served with artichokes and sun dried tomatoes.

There was not a miss-step the whole evening, service, decor, and food were all 5-star. We all agree that this was our best dining experience of the trip and a great way to top off a wonderful Holiday journey to Vienna.

Who's That Lady?

2010-12-07T04:30:00.000-05:00

Why it's the Venus of Willendorf, looking simply amazing for a 25,000 year old (she doesn't look a day over 20,000!). Or maybe it's Judith, looking all hot for the Hof (Holofornes that is, not David Hasselhoff!)

These are few of the amazing ladies we were introduced to on our fourth day in Vienna.

The day started, as usual, at the delightful Le Moet Cafe at the Hotel Le Meridien. Then, Shirley, Dick and I got in a red Porsche and sped off to the Belvedere Palace. Ok, it was a Porsche built public transportation tram, but it was red! The Belvedere is a lovely palace with a great view of the city (Belvedere means beautiful view....did not know that). The highlight at the Belvedere is it's room of art by home town boy Gustav Klimt. Most famous is The Kiss, but I was entranced by his Judith I. The biblical heroine is portrayed in a starkly erotic pose, draped in gold, lips parted and eyes aflutter. In her hand is the head of Holofornes. Klimt was a ladies man, but this work indicated he had a healthy fear of women as well. The fact that he followed the works of his contemporary Freud can be seen in the psychological underpinnings in his work.

Lunch was at the venerable Cafe Sperl, and then off to the Natural History Museum to see the Venus of Willendorf. The Venus is a 25,000 year old clay figurine of a voluptuous female form. Most likely, it was used as a fertility idol. It was simply amazing to see a piece of art that ancient. Although small, it represented the height of artistic achievement at that time. Breathtaking.

We capped the day off with an excellent, traditional Viennese dinner at the Rathauskeller in the neo-Gothic city hall. The ornate vaulted ceilings of the cellar provided a romantic backdrop for a fine meal. And, bonus, there was a charming Christmas Market in front of the City Hall to enjoy.

Can't wait what (or who) day five brings!

Frank (filling in for Dick)

City Hall Christmas Tree

2010-12-06T16:36:00.001-05:00

Museum Quarter at Night

2010-12-06T03:44:00.000-05:00

St. Stephen's Cathedral for Advent Concert

2010-12-06T03:42:00.001-05:00

How Do You Warm the Interior of a Gothic Cathedral?

2010-12-06T03:39:00.000-05:00

Fill it with a few hundred people and a string quartet with horn for an Advent concert. That is how we concluded our Sunday. The concert was very nice and in a wonderful space.

Earlier in the day we visited the Secession Building, a landmark from the Austrian Art Nouveau period. It houses one of Gustav Klimt's great works, the Beethoven Frieze.

Lunch today was at Sacher Cafe where Shirley and Frank had very good crostini and I enjoyed a couple of "sausages" which look like two foot-long hot dogs, but tasted better. For dessert, Frank ordered the famous Sacher Torte which he proclaimed "dry". I had an average apple strudel, ok but not great and it too was a little dry.

The Opera tour was next on the agenda. We had a guided tour of the interior of the opera house. Unfortunately much of the original structure was destroyed during World War II and was rebuilt in a less ornate style. We were able to visit some of the original intermission lounges so we could see the ornateness of these areas.

On our way to dinner we walked through one of the Christmas Markets, filled with people and vendors. We need to make another visit before we leave.

Dinner was at Witwe Bolte, a very small restaurant on a lovely street. Food was good, service was not, more of an attitude thing than timing. Frank had Wienier Schnitzel which he proclaimed "very good". Shirley and I opted for Roast Suckling Pig which was also very tasty.

Musikverein - Interior

2010-12-05T04:44:00.000-05:00

Hofburg Palace in the Snow

2010-12-05T04:42:00.000-05:00

Splendid Saturday

2010-12-05T03:51:00.000-05:00

Splendid it was. We awoke yesterday morning to blue skies and cold temperatures, teens and twenties. Lacking fresh snow, the sidewalks started to clear and walking became less treacherous.

We started the day with breakfast at Le Moet, a small recently opened cafe in the hotel. Next was on to the Hofburg Palace, for a tour of the Habsburg Imperial Apartments. Lavish would be an understatement. The amount of flatwear, plates and serving pieces took up about 1/2 of the tour. The cost of admission includes a very thorough audio guide. A section also focused on Princess Elizabeth, aka Sisi,the wife of Franz Joseph. She of 20" waist and 3' of hair fame.

We had a very nice lunch at Cafe Restaurant Palmenhaus, overlooking the snow covered palace gardens. The restaurant is housed in the old glass palace conservatory.

Next up, the Albertina museum, to see two very well done exhibits of Michelangelo and Picasso. The Michelangelo exhibit focused on his sketches or cartoons. It was interesting to see the sketches in relationship to the finished works. The Picasso exhibit focused on his work during World War II while living in Nazi occupied Paris.

Dinner was at Bistro 59, a small, cute restaurant on the way from the hotel to our evening concert at the Musikverein. Shirley had the traditional wiener schnitzel, while Frank and I enjoyed a simply prepared pan fried pike-perch.

The Musikverein is the premier concert hall in Vienna. The interior is very ornate and the acoustics were excellent. The program included works by Smetana, Schumann and Dvorak.

It was a full and splendid day in Vienna.

Snow

2010-12-04T03:19:00.000-05:00

Vienna is covered in snow. The streets and sidewalks are covered in slush, which makes navigating the city a little difficult but worth every cautious step. After a short nap upon our arrival at the hotel, we ventured out to roam the city and fine some lunch. We had a wonderful lunch at italic, a nice Italian restaurant just off the main pedestrian drag.

After lunch we visited St. Stephen's Cathedral, the large gothic church in the heart of Vienna. We will return there on Sunday evening for an Advent concert.

A highlight of our first day was when we walked out of the hotel at 6:00 PM to see the large flakes of snow illuminated in the lights of the city. Very beautiful.

And a big thanks to Paul & Libby for the hotel recommendation, Le Meridien. It is a great centrally located, hip hotel.

Downtown Vienna in the Snow

2010-12-03T10:28:00.000-05:00

Arrival at Vienna Airport

2010-12-03T10:18:00.000-05:00

IAD

2010-12-03T06:35:00.000-05:00

IAD is airport speak for Washington Dulles. I think it must have been designed by the same crew that runs the government. The major problem is getting from gate A to gate B. In my prior trips through Dulles my arrival gate was always as far away as possible from the departure gate. But at least they were in the same terminal building. Not today, Mr. Grumpy. No, we arrived at a gate in Terminal C and departed from Terminal B. Next door? No way! More like a 20 - 30 minute separation covered by multiple methods of transportation. First up was an elevated bus like creature that was packed full like standing sardines. This was followed by a series of up and down escalator rides to the underground train. After more escalators we finally arrived at gate B41 where cousin Shirley was waiting. It is wonderful to see her again and to have her join Frank and me in this journey to Vienna.

A glass of wine and 40 minutes later we boarded Austrian Air flight 94. Although we are in the back of the bus, the flight is only about 60% full. Economy seating is a 2 - 3 - 2 configuration. Shirley as 2 seats to herself, and Frank and I have 3 seats so there is some extra room - very nice I say.

Time to stop typing; I see the drink and food carts coming down the aisle.

Vienna Weather Forecast for Friday Arrival

2010-12-01T22:21:00.000-05:00

High 24 F
Low 12 F
Light Snow

Long Underwear... check!

Making My List & Checking It Twice

2010-11-30T09:59:00.000-05:00

Christmas List? No, just a packing list. Yes the travel bug has struck again and we are off to Vienna, Austria on Thursday. Can you say COLD? We being Frank, my cousin Shirley and me. Shirley and I were in Vienna a few years ago to start our "find some of Shirley's relatives in Romania" quest. We did, but that is another story.

I cannot imagine anything that would put us in the Christmas spirit like walking the snow covered streets of Vienna searching for a Christmas Market, and attending an Advent Concert in St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Check back periodically for updates from the trip. Now, do I have everything I need on my list? Hat? Check; Scarf? Check; Gloves? Check... and more!

Thanksgiving in a Bowl

2010-11-25T11:31:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Eve to be more precise and our dinner was just like Thanksgiving in a Bowl. As is our custom, Frank came over and we shared Thanksgiving Eve together. The menu included:

Butternut Squash Soup with Creme Fraiche, Croutons, and Chives
Turkey Risotto with Cranberry Chutney - hence Thanksgiving in a Bowl
Sauteed Spinach with Bacon and Pine Nuts
Three-Ginger Chevre Tart

The menu was inspired by a Thanksgiving menu in Wine Spectator. To reduce the work effort we took a few shortcuts, like buying fresh Butternut Squash Soup from Fresh Market and using jarred Spiced Cranberry-Apple Chutney from Silver Palette. We also, at my request, opted for spinach over the kale in the article. (Yes, I grew up in Ohio and still have a problem eating those Southern staples like kale, and the assorted greens - what can I say).

We raided the Oregon wine stash, starting with an Argyle 2007 Black Brut (Pinot Noir) Sparkling wine, which was outstanding with the soup. With the main course we opened a WillaKenzie Estate Gamay Noir, which we both thought paired perfectly with the Turkey Risotto and would also go well with a traditional Thanksgiving feast.

So back to the Thanksgiving in a bowl... the risotto had all the traditional flavors of a Thanksgiving dinner. Obviously there was the turkey, from two thighs I roasted the day before. The "dressing" came through in the celery and sage that was used. And the cranberry chutney added the sweet and tart flavor of a typical cranberry sauce. The rice filled in nicely for the potatoes and carried all the other flavors to the palette.

To complete the meal, I made a Three-Ginger Chevre Tart from the same article. While I found the crust a little difficult to work with, the end result turned out very tasty.

It was a perfect Thanksgiving Eve dinner.

Butternut Squash Soup with Croutons, Creme Fraiche
and Chives

Turkey Risotto with Cranberry Chutney
and Sauteed Spinach with Bacon & Pine Nuts

Next stop is Biff's (my nephew) home in Bradenton for what is always a wonderful family Thanksgiving Day Feast with three turkeys (of the poultry kind), and a couple turkeys of the human kind. (Names not released to protect this blogger) - Just kidding Mike ! :-)

Here are the original recipes from Wine Spectator.

Turkey Risotto with Fresh Sage and Cranberry Chutney

Serves 4 to 6.

Risotto is one of those dishes, like soup, bread salad and gumbo, that provides a perfect canvas for leftover holiday turkey. But you needn’t wait until after Thanksgiving to enjoy this dish. As the holidays approach, markets begin to stock fresh turkey, sold both whole and in pieces. And because turkey breast is the most popular cut, the more flavorful thighs, legs and wings are generally readily available at a good price. Simply roast a couple of thighs, a leg and a wing or two, reserve the best of the meat and simmer the meaty bones to make a simple stock. Cranberry chutney adds a spicy warmth and enhances the dish’s compatibility with a variety of wines.

7 to 8 cups homemade turkey stock

3 tablespoons butter

2 shallots, minced

1 celery rib, minced

Kosher salt

2 teaspoons rubbed sage

2 cups Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice

2 cups cooked turkey, preferably thigh meat, shredded

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves

Black pepper in a mill

3 ounces (3/4 cup) dry Jack cheese, grated

Fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Cranberry Chutney, commercial or homemade*

Pour the turkey stock into a saucepan, set over medium heat and when it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low so that it barely simmers. Melt the butter in a large deep saucepan set over medium low heat. Add the shallots and celery and cook slowly until soft and fragrant, about 10 to 12 minutes; do not let the vegetables brown. Season with salt and stir in the rubbed sage.

Add the rice and sauté¦ for 2 minutes, stirring all the while, or until each grain begins to turn milky white. Add 1/2 cup of the stock and stir constantly until it is absorbed, adjusting the heat as needed so that it is neither too high nor too low; the stock should simmer but not boil. Continue to add stock 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly, until the rice swells and is just tender, about 18 to 20 minutes.

When there is about 1/2 cup of the stock remaining, fold in the turkey and the sage. Add half of the remaining stock, taste, season with salt and pepper and stir in the cheese. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining stock.

To serve: Ladle into warm soup plates and garnish with fresh sage leaves and a spoonful of chutney. Serve immediately.

*Note: There are several brands of cranberry chutney on the market, such as Stonewall Kitchen’s (stonewallkitchen.com), which is among the best. It is also easy to it make at home.

Wine recommendations: The creamy delicacy of the rice combined with the earthy flavor of turkey, the perfume of the sage and the sweet tang of cranberries suggest an equally complex and delicate red wine. Something luscious yet light, lest the subtle qualities of the dish be eclipsed. Pinot Noir from California’s coastal vineyards provides the best possibilities. Ridgeway Family Vineyards 2007 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, from a small vineyard in southwestern Petaluma, is a stellar match.

For a more playful, lighthearted match, consider Beaujolais Nouveau, an exuberant companion to cranberries.

Lacinato Kale with Bacon & Pine Nuts

Serves 6 - 8

Lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale and cavolo nero, has a husky, almost meat-like depth of flavor and a texture that is sturdier, even when tender, than other winter greens. These qualities, combined with the smokiness of the bacon in this recipe, make a perfect counterpoint to the creamy risotto.

3 bunches (about 21/2 pounds) lacinato kale

5 bacon slices, preferably dry-cured

1 shallot, minced

3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

Red pepper flakes

Zest of 1 lemon

1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

Use a sharp paring knife to remove the stems and tough ribs from the kale. Cut the leaves into 2-inch-wide crosswise slices. Put the cut leaves into a large colander; rinse but do not dry as you want water to cling to the leaves. Set aside.

Fry the bacon in a large deep sauté pan until crisp; transfer to absorbent paper to drain. (Once cool, crumble the bacon.) Pour off all but about 1/3 cup of the bacon fat, return the pan to medium heat, add the shallot and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more. Season with salt and 2 or 3 pinches of pepper flakes. Add the kale and sauté for about 2 minutes, stirring all the while. Cover the pan and cook over low heat until the kale is tender, about 12 to 15 minutes; uncover and stir now and then.

Remove from the heat. Fold in the lemon zest, half the bacon and half the pine nuts, taste and correct for salt. Transfer to a serving bowl, scatter the remaining bacon and pine nuts on top and serve. Serves 6 to 8.

Wine recommendations: Kale is almost always a side dish and as such, should be taken into consideration when selecting a wine for the main course. Lacinato kale’s texture, which is rich and velvety, engages well with most Pinot Noir and the bacon in this particular preparation furthers the resonance. Should this dish take center stage on your table, you can stick with a Pinot Noir or shift to a plush white wine, such as Peter Michael Winery Cuvée Indigene Chardonnay.

If you use spinach in lieu of kale, skip the first step, and reduce the cooking time for the spinach to about 2 minutes , or until just wilted.

Three-Ginger Chèvre Tart with a Spiced Walnut Crust

This tart is thin, elegant and perfumed with three kinds of ginger, fresh, ground and candied. It unfolds on the palate in layer upon layer of flavor, qualities that engage beautifully with the Madeira that accompanies it.

For the crust

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup, packed, light brown sugar

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground clove

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup walnut pieces, lightly toasted

11/2 cups all-purpose flour

For the filling

10 ounces fresh Chèvre, such as Chabis

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 egg yolk

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup chopped candied ginger

To make the crust: Put the butter, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, clove and ground ginger into the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade and pulse several times, until well blended. Add the vanilla and the walnuts and pulse until the walnuts are evenly incorporated into the butter mixture; use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the work bowl as needed. Add the flour and pulse several times, until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Transfer the dough to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Clean the work bowl and blade. Preheat the oven to 400.F.

Press the chilled dough into a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool thoroughly.

To make the filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 350.F. Put the Chèvre, sugar, egg and egg yolk into the work bowl of the food processor and pulse until smooth. Add the cream and fresh ginger and pulse until just smooth; do not over process.

Spread the candied ginger over the surface of the crust, pour the Chèvre custard over the candied ginger and agitate the tart pan very gently to even it out, if needed. Set the tart on a baking sheet and set the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 25 minutes or until the custard is firm and the top is pale gold.

Remove from the oven, let cool for about 15 minutes and remove the ring of the tart pan. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 6 to 8.

Wine recommendations: This rich, fragrant dessert, with its layers of ginger, wants something slightly lean on the palate, yet elegant and engaging. You can’t go wrong with a well-aged Madeira but fans of single-malt Scotch, especially those of Islay, will be delighted by the flirtatious resonance of the match. Try Laphroaig 15 Year Old.

Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone

2010-11-24T16:46:00.000-05:00

Best wishes to everyone for a Happy Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Eve Dinner at Home

A Visitor from Afar

2010-11-21T23:14:00.000-05:00

Deirdre, my good friend from Philadelphia, has been visiting here the past few days. I know, Philadelphia isn't THAT far, only a 2 hour, 20 minute flight. It was really nice to see her and show her a little more of my city. We decided that we were mimicking my cats, eat, nap, eat, nap again, etc. And eat we did. The first night I fixed pasta bolognese with a caprese salad.

Lunch the next day was at the nice MFA Cafe, at the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg. I really like the cafe. It has a nice variety of lunch entrees, salads, and sandwiches. And their soup of the day is always good. We both had the "Demi" a half Turkey and Cold Slaw sandwich and a bowl of soup. I had the Creamy Leek soup while Deirdre had the Creamy Tomato soup. This was followed by a visit to the Chihuly Collection, which is always a fun visit. Dinner this day was at St.Pete Brasserie on Central Avenue. This is my favorite French restaurant downtown. We started with a very tasty Alsacien Onion Tart. For my entree I ordered the Grilled Tuna Provencal with Tomato, Olive & Fennel Sauce and a side of Haricot Vert. (Bob, those would be small green beans). Unfortunately I do not remember what Deirdre ordered. Maybe she will refresh my memory by adding a comment. One of the nice features at St. Pete Brasserie is that many of their entrees are offered in small or full portions.

The Looper... St. Petersburg has a couple of trolley lines serving the downtown and Central Avenue area. Since I moved here I have talked about ridding the Downtown Looper from the stop closest to me and stay on for the entire loop. Well, that is how Deirdre and I got around town on Friday, but we got off to have lunch at The Moon Under Water. The driver provides commentary throughout the ride, and the best part is the cost, only 25 cents every time you board. It was a fun little excursion on a beautiful day.

Hoping off the Looper on Beach Drive, we were at The Moon Under Water. This is a English-style pub with curries and typical pub fare (Fish and Chips, Sheppard's Pie, etc). While not a "wow" place, it has served consistently good food and if dining outside you overlook the lovely Straub Park. I enjoyed the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich, although I personally found it to be more food than I needed (with an side of French Fries) so I skipped much of the bread. The chicken curry was good. Deirdre enjoyed the batter fried cod fingers (who knew they had fingers?). A friend of mine recommended the Chicken Pot Pie as being exceptionally good, and nicely presented, but I failed to remember this until tonight as I was reviewing the menu. Also, while we had good service, there were a couple of indicators that they may have occasional service problems. We walked by the outdoor seating the day before and heard a couple comment, "She doesn't deserve a tip". Then as we were being seated, two women at a nearby table were getting up and leaving with a comment to the hostess that "No one ever came over to take our order." This brought no reaction from the hostess. Our experience was much better.

Frank, Biff (my nephew) and Butch joined us for dinner at Ceviche, a wonderful tapas restaurant on Beach Drive at Central. Each of us ordered a separate item and then shared around the table. Their Sangria is great, and we consumed our fare share.

More food was on tap for Saturday, but this time we traveled to Mount Dora to visit with our friend Carol and show Deirdre this northern-looking central Florida town. Lunch was a One Flight Up followed by a walk around town. For dinner, Carol had booked us at Saucy Bistro, previously reviewed in this blog. Our prior visit was on their opening day when there were a couple of minor, but not unexpected for opening day, glitches. This visit was much smoother, and the food was just as good. The bistro is owned by the Beth Lee who also runs the highly respected Saucy Spoon Catering. The restaurant is only open on Friday (for light bites) and Saturday (full blown menu) and Sunday brunch. The "help yourself" appetizer, cheese and salad table had a nice selection of great cheeses. For dinner we were joined by Shirley and John (from Worthing, England and Mount Dora FL) and another good Mount Dora friend, June. Our entrees included chicken breast in pastry, bone-in hand cut pork loin chop with a lovely onion sauce, and salmon in papillote (baked in parchment paper). The side dishes are served family-style and included a huge platter of roasted vegetables, and great mashed potatoes. Everyone was very pleased with their meal. I think this is one of the best restaurants in Mount Dora.

It has been a very busy four days, but highly enjoyable. Now it is time to get ready for our Thanksgiving Eve dinner. More on that later.

183/250 Untitled

2010-11-14T20:37:00.000-05:00

Paul & Libby, of Paul & Libby's World of Travel fame (see Blogs I Follow in the right sidebar), came over on Saturday to introduce Frank and me to their 9 month old daughter, Emerson, and to have lunch. Hard to believe that we have not met Emerson before this. She is adorable, and extremely well behaved. We had a nice lunch at the new Bella Brava location on Beach Drive.

Paul also brought me a wonderful Victor Vasarely limited edition print (Untitled - 1970) which I love and am very grateful for Paul's kind generosity. He snagged multiple copies of this print in an art auction, and kindly decided to share one of the copies with me. I have print #183 out of 250. Very neat, I say. The photograph does not do it justice. I will post another photo after it has been framed and hung in my study (aka "The Red Room"). You can view Paul's other gift to me, a painting he created just for The Red Room, by clicking here.

Untitled - 1970
Victor Vasarely

Thank you Paul & Libby.

Dough, Re, Me

2010-11-12T12:25:00.000-05:00

Who knew... the one time I don't include a recipe in the post, I get multiple requests to share it. First, I figured any of my regular readers who might make their own dough, probably had their own recipe. Second, it is a BASIC recipe. I am sure there are many others out there. If you have a favorite pizza dough recipe, please included it in a comment.

Here is the Basic Pizza Dough Recipe from Biba Caggiano.

Basic Pizza Dough

From Biba’s Italian Kitchen by Biba Caggiano

1 ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 package active dry yeast, dissolved in ½ plus 2 tablespoons of lukewarm (100 – 120 degrees)

1-tablespoon olive oil

1-teaspoon salt

Makes 1-12 inch pizza (approx)_

Made by Hand:

Put all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and mix well with your hands until incorporated. Put the dough on a work surface and kneed 5 to 6 minutes or until the dough is smooth and pliable. If it seems a bit sticky, knead in a little more flour. Dust the dough lightly with flour and place in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel or with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place to rise, 1 – 1 ½ hours. At this point the dough should have doubled in volume, be springy, and have small gas bubbles all over its surface.

Made in Electric Mixer:

Put the flour in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the dissolved yeast, oil, and salt and with the dough hook, mix well at medium-low speed until all ingredients are incorporated. Increase the speed to high and knead the dough 4 to 5 minutes. Dust the dough lightly with flour and place in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel or with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place to rise, 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Made with Food Processor

Put the flour and salt in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Add the dissolved yeast and the oil and pulse the machine on and off until the dough is loosely gathered around the blade. Remove the dough from and knead it by hand 2 to 3 minutes. Dust the dough lightly with flour and place in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist kitchen towel or with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place to rise, 1 – 1 ½ hours.

Preheat the oven at 450 degrees for at least 30 minutes. Form pizza, top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Pizza! Pizza!

2010-11-11T10:18:00.000-05:00

Margarita pizza was on the menu last night at home. For the first time in years, I made my own pizza dough. Easy it is, and a little better than the fresh dough I have been using from the Publix bakery. I like my pizza on the thin side, and this came out crispy on the outside and light and chewy on the inside. I was very pleased with my crust.

A Margarita pizza is simply topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil. I used an uncooked tomato sauce made from canned San Marzano tomatoes, seeds removed and minus the puree from the can; adding garlic, fresh mozzarella cheese (get the freshest you can), and fresh basil. I picked up the uncooked sauce idea from an old Julia Child show. While it was very good and fresh tasting, I think I prefer a cooked sauce for more richness and depth of flavor. So next time I will start the same way, but simmer on the stove top for a while, maybe add a touch of red wine, and some tomato paste.

I was also very pleased that I ended up with an almost round pizza. Many of my prior pies look more like the state of Iowa. But, it is all about the flavor, not the shape.

The finished pizza:

The Lacuna

2010-11-08T22:26:00.002-05:00

Lacuna is a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus (from http://dictionary.reference.com)

The Lacuna is a book by Barbara Kingsolver which I just finished. Is was a powerful read. But that is just my opinion as the reviews I read are mixed. This historical novel covers the period from 1929 to 1959 following the life of Harrison Shepard (fictional character) from his early years in Mexico through to his time in Asheville, NC then back to Mexico. The "historical" part is based on his relationship with and employment by real-life artists, Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo, and Lev Trotsky, one of the leaders of the Russian Revolution. This relationship lands him before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Enough of the story line.

I found it powerful and engaging since a lot of the book could just as well be referring to our current political environment. Maybe not to the same degree as the time period in the book, but there is still some commonality. For example, if it is in the paper (and now on the TV and the Internet) it must be accurate regardless of the facts. Guilt by association - again regardless of facts. Discrimination based on a label assigned to a person; then Communist, Black, or Gay; now Muslim, Immigrant and still race and sexual orientation to some extent.

I guess the book spoke to my own liberal biases, whether it was Mrs. Kingsolver's intent or not.

I liked the book and would highly recommend it to others.

That is just my 2 cents in this normally non-political blog. And trust me, the blog will stay that way.

Bravo !

2010-11-06T22:46:00.000-04:00

Tonight I got a dose of culture again. I walked 6 blocks to the Mahaffey Theatre to hear The Florida Orchestra perform Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6, the Tragic. Now I don't profess to know much about classical music so I will not go into an elaborate discussion of tonight's concert. If you are set on learning more about Mahler's 6th, click HERE to go to the Wikipedia entry and read away. Let me just say that I enjoyed the concert, especially the last movement; Finale Allegro moderato (that's music-speak). It was a very powerful and moving conclusion to the piece. Portions of the earlier movements reminded me of movie scores with soaring melodies. OK, that is about as musical as I can get. I always enjoy The Florida Orchestra and I love being able to walk to a concert. It feels so big-city like.

That's All I'm Saying

Good Food and Celebrity Spotting

2010-11-04T20:33:00.000-04:00

Cafe Ponte, unquestionably one the the best restaurants in the area was the location for a lovely dinner with Frank tonight, before he leaves on a four-day business trip to New Orleans. Tough duty, my friend, but I do understand it is a weekend and you have to work the trade show floor... ouch ! You can read prior comments about Cafe Ponte by clicking this LINK to my July 2010 post. More on our meal in a moment. Cafe Ponte is on Ulmerton Road in Clearwater, close to the Home Shopping Network. Many of the nationally known chefs dine at Cafe Ponte when they are in town pushing their products on HSN. Wolfgang Puck is a frequent visitor, and Thomas Keller (not pushing on HSN) put the pressure on Chris Ponte to come up with a dinner for "The Man" from The French Laundry. Tonight at the next table, Frank spotted Ellie Krieger of Food Network fame. We get to put an "X" next to another culinary celebrity. She looks just like she does on TV.

More importantly, let's talk food. (doh!) Cafe Ponte has a fixe prix menu on weeknights which in my opinion is a bargain considering what you get, portion size, service, and quality of the meal. You get to select any appetizer, entree, and dessert from the entire menu, with only a few items, like fois gras or osso buco meriting a small up-charge.

The meal began with a complementary amuse-bouche of Chris' famous Wild Mushroom Bisque with a light Truffle cream. The soup is served in an espresso cup which is all you need of the rich and extremely flavorful bisque. For our appetizer course we both ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartar, formed using a ring mold surrounded by thinly sliced radishes, and over a bed of pureed avocado. Around the creation is a soy glaze and green olive oil.

Our main course tonight was Diver Scallops (Frank) served with short rib sauce, creamy corn polenta, sautéed morel mushrooms and asparagus in a caramelized shallot sauce (extracted from the menu since I couldn't remember all of the ingredients). It was excellent, as I was offered a taste. I opted for the Steak Au Poivre, a 14 ounce chairman reserve age steak, black peppercorn crusted, roasted garlic mash, sautéed wild mushroom. Yummy!

Next up, dessert. I selected the Apple and Cherry Crisp served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Frank enjoyed the Raspberry Creme Brulee. Both were very good and a great way to conclude a first class meal.

This may be a splurge restaurant, but the fixe prix menu makes it more affordable. And you never know who you might spot at the next table.

That's all I'm Saying

Blog Enhancements

2010-11-04T08:43:00.001-04:00

I have added two additional features to my blog.

1. The ability for a reader to email a post to others. Just click on the envelope next to the comments link at the end of each post.

Posted by Dick at 3:44 PM 0 comments <------ This envelope

2. The ability for a reader to react to each post (changes to the options are still being considered. Since there are so many food/restaurant posts, I was thinking of "I'm Hungary", "Stop, you are killing me", "This is really boring" and "I would never eat that" or... for travel related posts... "Take me with you" and "Good Luck Buddy, You are on your own" Or we could stick with more typical options such as "Like", "Don't Like", "Yawn"). Suggestions for Reaction options would be appreciated.

Reactions:

<<<<< oops, I already changed the options, 12 hours after this was posted.>>>>

Just trying to increase the fun level that I have with the blog, and obviously, I have way too much time to play with this stuff and learn all the features of Blogger.

Goody Gumbo

2010-11-02T15:44:00.000-04:00

Gumbo is a stew or soup which originated in south Louisiana. (Per Wikipedia). While I am not a gumbo expert, I know what I like. Probably 16 - 18 years ago, on a business trip to Mobile, AL, I ordered gumbo at John Word's Restaurant. The old location was in a wonderful, supposedly haunted, historic downtown building. In researching this post, I found that John Word's Restaurant and Jazz Club is now located on Battleship Parkway overlooking the Arizona. A shame in my opinion as there was a sense of history and charm in the old place. Back to the gumbo. I always felt the gumbo I had at John Word's was the best ever, and any time I had gumbo, it was my standard for comparison. Nothing I had over the last 16 years held up to that comparison. None that is, until today. As I was scanning the menu at Mitchell's Fish Market at West Shore Plaza, my eyes rested on the Sam Adams Beer Battered Fish and Chips. But before our server could take our order, I spied the Soup and Salad options which I decided might be a healthier choice for me. Actually it was the Marinated Beefsteak Tomatoes with Blue Cheese that caught my eye. Then I had to decide on a soup. All three options sounded good, but the server recommended the New Orleans Seafood Gumbo. She nailed that suggestion. This is as close as any gumbo has come to the standard of John Word's in all of these years. Which was better is hard to say especially since it has been 16 years since I tasted Word's gumbo. So, I will call it a tie and a lucky find.

Bologna

2010-11-01T10:17:00.001-04:00

Bologna has been on my mind a lot this past week. Bologna, as in the lovely city in Italy, in the Emila-Romagna region not the deli meat by the same name, which we call baloney. As an aside, if you haven't tried the Italian version, Mortadella, you are missing some of the best bologna there is. Just my 2 cents. So back to the city of Bologna which I last visited in 20008 and covered in my blog, Simpson Italy 08. Bologna is famous for its food, including the ever controversial multiple versions of ragu bolognese, wonderful light lasagna verde, and tortelinni en brodo (in broth). The Bolognesi are passionate about their food and one of the nicknames for the city is "la grassa", the fat, although they are not fat. It is also known for the University of Bologna, one of the oldest in the world and a city of free thought, hence another nickname, "la dotta", the learned. The third nickname for Bologna is "la rossa", the red, for the left leaning politics of the city. During my visit I had the pleasure of sampling many of the outstanding dishes of the area. I also walked the halls of the University, if not the same halls as Dante, then at least the same street, Via Zamboni. Neat, I say.

There is a two-fold reason for thinking about Bologna. First the recently made and consumed Lamb Ragu. Second, the current book club choice, The Broker, by John Grisham in which a significant portion of the story is based in Bologna. I found the story captivating, probably more so for me due to the locale and the occasional Italian language. It was fast-paced and easy-to-read as is typical with Grisham. The book brought back many memories of my visit.

Time to leave Bologna. Next stop? Who knows, but stay tuned. I am sure there will be another trip or a fond memory somewhere in the near future.

That's all I'm Saying

Story of the Lamb; The Conclusion

2010-10-31T13:03:00.000-04:00

The Lamb Ragu, in a word, was wonderful. What can I say, I rocked on this one. (Allow me a moment to gloat). Ah, OK, I am better now. Before we move to the conclusion of the story, a brief digression. I must have way too much time on my hands, as I am not only blogging more than any month in the past, but posting multiple photographs of the cooking process. I guess I am inspired by my dear friend, Liz. I am also feeling good even though I am almost half way through my radiation treatments. And by the way, Liz... we set a place for you last night, but you didn't show up. Your loss I guess. We would have loved to have you come down all the way from Atlanta to share in this meal. (Grin)

As Paul Harvey use to say "Page 2: the rest of the story" .
When we left off on Friday, the lamb ragu was ready for the refrigerator, waiting on the final re-heat on Saturday. Before dinner could be served, the pasta had to be made. Just two eggs and 1 1/4 cups of flour, a little mixing, kneading, rolling in the pasta machine, and the pasta was ready to cut into 3/4" wide strips of pappardelle.

Flour, Eggs and Cranking

The pasta was cut and allowed to dry until ready to use.

Papperdelle

It is dinner time. As the ragu was re-heating and the pasta water was coming to a boil, Frank made and we devoured a lovely Frisee Salad with walnuts in a light lemon and olive oil dressing topped with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano. Quality ingredients, simply prepared... it doesn't get any better.

The final touch: As the sauce was heating and the papperdelle was boiling, I added approximately 1/4 cup heavy cream to the ragu. There is a lot of controversy in Bologna over adding or not adding milk or cream to Ragu Bolognese. I opted on the adding side of the issue and feel it was a good choice.

Let's eat!

The ragu had a wonderful richness and earthiness. The use of the baby bella mushrooms, IMHO added to the intensity of the sauce. And the addition of the cream added a smoothness.

Delicioso !!!

Wine: From the Willamette Valley stash, Frank selected the Penner-Ash 2008 Bella Vide Vineyard Pinot Noir which was a nice accompaniment to the lamb ragu.

End of the story !

Mary Had a Little Lamb

2010-10-29T19:27:00.000-04:00

She must have, it is in the book. (If that is a quizzical look on your face right now, then that would be the Mary Had a Little Lamb book.) I didn't have a little lamb, I only had two lamb shanks. And I wanted to turn them into lamb ragu. Today the ragu was created, tomorrow the pasta will be made (pappardelle) and all served for a nice meal at home. You will note the recipe calls for rigatoni but I plan on making my own pappardelle pasta. The rigatoni would work just fine, but we had Lamb Ragu with Pappardelle in Prague at Kogo (an wonderful Italian restaurant) so i am trying to recreate that memory.

First, a look at my new recipe holder. OK, so it is just a piece of scotch tape holding the recipe to my kitchen cabinet, but hey, it works. And it is off the limited counter space I have and at eye level, which for my eyes and my progressive bifocals is very helpful.

Ready to make the Lamb Ragu

Next, the lamb was seared, and the various ingredients prepped.

Let's Cook

After braising in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, the shanks were allowed to cool, and the meat removed from the bone.

The meat was returned to the sauce, and refrigerated until ready to use tomorrow.

Results will be available over the weekend. Hopefully with more photographs at the request of one of my faithful readers who shall remain nameless, (Liz).

Rigatoni with Braised Lamb Ragù

Bon Appétit | November 1998

Yield: Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 lamb shanks (each about 3/4 pound)

2 cups chopped onions

1 pound small button mushrooms, halved

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1/2cup dry white wine

3 cups beef stock or canned beef broth

1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in purée

1 1/4 pounds rigatoni pasta

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 325°F. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over high heat. Sprinkle lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add to pot and brown on all sides, about 12 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to platter. Add onions, mushrooms, garlic, basil, rosemary and crushed red pepper to pot and sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Return lamb to pot. Add wine and boil until liquid has evaporated, about 6 minutes. Add 3 cups beef stock and tomatoes to pot; return to boil.

Cover pot, transfer to oven and bake until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Using tongs, transfer lamb to large bowl. Cool 10 minutes. Cut meat off bones into generous 1/2-inch pieces (discard bones). Return meat to sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold; cover and keep refrigerated. Re-warm over medium-low heat before continuing.)

Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain well. Transfer pasta to large serving bowl. Spoon sauce over pasta. Serve, passing Parmesan cheese separately.

My comments:

I prepared the ragu one day ahead, which I would recommend. Pasta sauce like this always seem to taste better the next day, IMHO.
I prepared 1/2 recipe for two of us - adjust accordingly. I had two lamb shanks which weighed in at just over two pounds, from ~~“ It will cost you a pound of flesh”~~ Fresh Market.
I used Baby Portobello mushrooms instead of button, hoping for a touch more earthy delight.
I use imported canned San Marzano Pealed Whole Tomatoes (Cento Brand) and crushed them by hand before adding to the pot. You have to become one with the food.
I also added approximately 1 tablespoon of tomato paste before adding the liquid for additional flavor and richness.

Torta Photo

2010-10-29T11:08:00.000-04:00

Torta di Nocciole e Cioccolata

The Result

Served with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar