Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!
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.
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.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Time for a Change
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.
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.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Two Headed Cat in St. Petersburg
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.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Scans, Frank's Birthday Dinner, and North Carolina - a busy week
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.
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.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Boston Photographs Are Ready
The Boston photographs have been posted on Picasa. Please click on the New Statehouse photograph in the right sidebar to view the album.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Animals in Boston
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.
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.
 |
| The Famous Swan Boat in the Boston Public Garden |
 |
| Make Way for Ducklings Boston Public Gardens |
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
Weekend Restaurants
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 !!!
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 !!!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Boston - Hits and Misses
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'
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'
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)