A Lovely Day in the Neighborhood

Today was one of those rare, near perfect fall days, with the temperature in the low to mid 60s; blue sky, and a light (OK, sometimes strong) breeze off the bay. By last Thursday, I was feeling almost back to normal, a week after my treatment. While it took longer than I expected, at least I have a better idea what to expect after the next treatment. With encouragement from Frank, I returned to the gym yesterday for some cardio and light weight work. It felt good. We then hit the Saturday Morning Market for lunch. Dinner was a wonderful fruit and arugula salad, followed by pan seared grouper with a lemon butter sauce and green beans and grape tomatoes. Today, feeling ready to venture out on a nice walk, considering the fall weather, I headed down toward the Vinoy Hotel, about a 15 block walk, listening to "The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams. I made my first visit to the recently opened 400 Beach Seafood and Tap House. I ordered a Shock Top on draught, not realizing that I was ordering a (heaven forbid) "domestic" beer. Well, my euro-snobbishness was minimized by this decent tasting Belgium style white beer by Michelob. For lunch, I ordered the New England Lobster Roll which was filled with a large quantity of lobster meat in a small amount of mayonnaise. The portion size, served with a side of plank fries (think steak fries), and celery root slaw, was more that adequate, although a little pricey at $14.95 (but it was fresh lobster). However, the sandwich was a little bland. I am not sure what it needed, but it lacked some zing. And it wasn't up to the Lobster roll at Legal Seafood. 400 Beach is owned by the same person who owns Parkshore Grill, just down the street. Parkshore is, in my opinion, one of the best overall dining experiences in downtown. I will return to 400 Beach sometime for dinner, to see how it compares at dinner to its sister restaurant. 
Next stop was the Museum of Fine Arts, to renew my membership and check out the latest special exhibit, "I Heard a Voice" by Leslie Dill. The exhibit was interesting, but far from a high point in my museum experiences. OK, let's be honest here, Simpson, I didn't like it all that much. Although, this is the first time I have been encouraged to use my cell phone in a museum. The special exhibit had a associated audio program available via cell phone, narrated by the artist. Just like the audio tours you pay for, you press a number and # on your cell phone when you arrive at designated works of art to hear more about the piece. 
Well, I think I have rambled on enough for one post. It was a good day; I felt good; the weather was lovely, and I spent a few hours enjoying my city
That's All I'm Saying.

Back at Work

Today was another step in my recovery from the treatment last week. I returned to the office, albeit a little later than "core" hours, but not by much. My energy level gets better everyday, although I still feel fatigued at times. I actually fixed my own dinner tonight, only a big deal in that I had not felt like standing in the kitchen for more than five minutes at any time before tonight. Plus, why should I cook when Frank offered to come over and fix dinner on Saturday (seared salmon and a roquette (rocket) salad) and again on Sunday, (organic grass-fed filet mignon with a caprese salad made with tomato and burrata). If you haven't had burrata, and can find some, (try Whole Foods) do so. It is a combination of mozzarella and cream, with a mozzarella outer shell and a lovely soft mozzarella and cream center. It was so good, and a nice accompaniment with the tasty grass-fed beef. Yum.


That's All I'm Saying!

I am home !

I was finally released from Moffitt on Saturday around noon. It is really nice being home, not that Paolo and Lucia were excited by my return. More like "Ho hum, he's back, it's nap time now"


I am still a little fatigued, but feeling better all the time. It was great being in my own bed last night, although sleep was erratic. 


The treatment procedure was long, and took a lot more out of me than I expected. I was in IR (Intervention Radiology) from 8AM or so, until 1PM. Recovery went fine, although that too was long, or so it seems when you are laying in bed all day.


That is all I'm saying (for now).

Moffitt Mariott

Service is great, the food is not, and the decor is what you would
expect in a hospital, clinical and boring.

I am still in ICU, waiting on a regular room. My surgeon just stopped
by and said they would release me in the morning. Yea!

That's all for now.

Sent from my iPhone

Whirlwind Restaurant Weekend in St. Petersburg

     Whew, I need a rest. This has been a busy weekend for dining out. So, tonight, Sunday, I am staying home and cooking something for myself. The whirlwind started on Friday, with Frank, our friend Carol F. and me going to The King and I, a small, Thai restaurant on Central Ave. I had the crispy duck curry... very good. Saturday lunch found me at Paddy Burke's Irish Pub with my friend Glen from Orlando. I had the Irish BBQ Burger; the BBQ Sauce was made with Guinness (what else) and I washed it down with a Guinness. Saturday evening our friend Karen stopped over for a visit and dinner, which was at Primi Urban Cafe. That was my second Saturday in a row at Primi. This week I had the Wild Mushroom Ravioli in a brown butter sage sauce. Wow, it was really outstanding. And... finally... my good friend Bob, came by for lunch at Lucky Dill Deli. (Yes, Bob, it is another 15 minutes of fame for you, compliments of The Urban Flaneur). Eat, Eat, Eat!!! Now I need a break.
     Unfortunately I will get a forced break this week as I will be dining on hospital food for a few days. I will be admitted to Moffitt on Tuesday, with my treatment scheduled for Wednesday. I will be "out" for 5 to 6 hours, while they administer my first treatment for the tumors in my liver. As I mentioned in a more private email to may of my readers/friends/family, I was very fortunate to qualify for a new research trial for targeted chemotherapy. I expect to be released no later than next Saturday. There will definitely not be any food posts this week. Depending on my recovery, and my level of motivation, there may be a post from the hospital with a update on my progress.


That's all I'm Saying !

Never Trust a Skinny Cook

Check this out. My dear friend, and fellow-foodie, and my foodie idol, has her own blog now. I have posted a link to it under My Blog List (left sidebar). Liz is an amazing person, and an amazing chef, (forget the cook stuff), Years ago, (I won't mention how many), she inspired me to have the confidence in the kitchen that I was lacking at the time. I made my first risotto under her tutelage at a participation dinner with a group of her friends in her kitchen. Each of us had our assignment, with the recipe and ingredients ready for us. Frank and I drew the risotto assignment, and I thought, "I can't do that, risotto is hard to make". But under her watchful eye and words of encouragement, I learned that I did not have to stir for the full 18 minutes. Now I can make risotto without really thinking about it. "Hey, that wasn't hard", I said.  Liz and her husband, Henry, have taken us to some mighty fine restaurants in Atlanta, and prepared wonderful meals for us at their home. I watched (from afar at times) her children grow up. (Both Andy and Eric are mentioned in her blog). As Liz likes to say, "You are one of my oldest friends" and she isn't talking about age. We go way back. I was running in the Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta when her first son was born, almost 30 years ago (sorry, Andy, I remember being there, just not the year). 
Liz and Henry are great friends, and I encourage you to read her blog, Never Trust a Skinny Cook. At least she shares recipes, unlike me, who just rambles on about food. 

Weekend Wrap-up

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


That's all I'm Saying !

The Monster

How about something other than food: I stayed up last night until 1:30 just to finish a book,  The Monster of Florence by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi. The book is based on the authors' investigation into a serial murderer in the Florence, Italy area, and how they became a part of the story. Preston is a mystery writer, so used that background to weave an intriguing tale of true events. Spezi is an Italian journalist who became an "expert" in all things related to the "Monster" Both authors ended up under investigation, and Spezi was jailed for a period of time. I highly recommend this book.

Z is for Me

Warning... more food talk...
Tonight, my friend and coworker, Rhonda, joined us for dinner at Z-Grille . We had a lovely evening, except for the loud group at the next table, and enjoyed some fine food from the kitchen of Chef/Owner Zach Gross. Zack was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Best New Chef of the South award this year. We started with a shared appetizer of deviled eggs with crab (how ofter do you see deviled eggs on an upscale restaurant menu). Rhonda enjoyed the Seared & Roasted Duck; I had a wonderful Seared Sea Scallops served with Herb Risotto, and Frank had an unusual, but very tasty, entree of fried chicken breast, waffle, and chipotle grits. Desserts were equally as tasty. And the Monday night special is 1/2 price on all bottles of wine. We (Frank and I) had a bottle M.D. Phillips Petite Petite Sirah. And at 1/2 price; such a deal. A fine meal with good friends 

Yummy

     Is everyone bored with all the food talk yet? No? Good, since here comes some more...
But first, a message from the PC repair guy, me ! Since no one responded to my earlier request for help fixing my keyboard, I decided to pop a few keys to see what I could see. WRONG Mr. FixIt. Now I have two keys that have no tops and have loose plastic thingies, which I cannot get to snap back in place. Where is the Geek Squad when you need them. I pulled out my netbook so I could at least type this post. Now, on to the food.
     Last evening (Friday), we were invited to Denise and Thomas' lovely condo overlooking Bayshore Blvd., and Tampa Bay. I have been working with Denise for a couple of years on her culinary techniques and this was a continuation of those lessons. She really does not need me, but I will continue to let her think she does since I always get a nice meal. We met at Publix Greenwise to shop, then to her home to start the prep and a long evening in the kitchen and at the table. We started with Lobster Bisque. Putting "Larry the Lobster" in the stock pot was reminiscent of the scene in Julie & Julia, where Julie agonized over boiling the lobster, finally getting it into the pot, only to have the lid fly off. We managed to avoid flying lids, and good old Larry went quietly to his death. (sorry Larry). While Larry was boiling, then cooling his heels, Denise and I started caramelizing the apples for a Tarte Tatin. Then it was back to the bisque, which was a major project time-wise, but the end result was very good. Frank thought it was perfect, Thomas and I both thought it could have been a little thicker. While Frank's was preparing his signature Mustard Vinaigrette, Denise and I started on New York Strip Steaks with Jose Andres' Blue Cheese cream sauce. It was great, as was the tarte tatin; served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oh so yummy! Denise definitely earned her diploma with this meal. The wine... we had a lovely Chardonnay with the soup, then moved to a wonderful 1993 Silverado Cabernet Sauvignon with the steak.
     Saturday found Frank and me escorting his Mother to a late lunch at Aquaknox for more fine dining. Mrs. C. had a Caesar Salad with Chicken. The salad was nicely presented as a 1/2 head of romaine, very thinly sliced onions, and shaved Parmigiano. Frank and I ordered the open-faced crab cake sandwich, which was two small cakes, loaded with lump crab topped with some fresh coleslaw. Very nice.
     Stay tuned, I am sure there is more foodie talk in the near future.


That's all I'm Saying