FOODIE IN FLIP FLOPS

My best friend Danielle lives in St. Pete, Florida and we are both total foodies.  We are ALWAYS in search of the perfect place for great food and the "right"  atmosphere. Z Grille was named by USA Today Top 15 Best Foodie Places in the Tampa Bay area, so we had to give it a try and glad we did! The three deviled egg flavors change frequently. The night we were there it was buffalo chicken with blue cheese and fried chicken skin on top, creamy horseradish with dill on top, and avocado with jalapeno, siracha and bacon on top. All had a great burst of flavor and were very tasty.  We tried the Beet It Salad and oh my the mix of flavors were wonderful! They used baby arugula for the greens, red and golden beets, fried chickpeas, radish, topped with a ball of panko-crusted goat cheese and truffle vinaigrette. This was a perfectly balanced salad and I would definitely order again. We also shared the Seafood Nachos which were also great...

I always get to see my best friends' mother and father when I visit st. Pete, however this time the four of us went to lunch and it was a true treat. I couldn't ask for better company or ambience. Cassis is located on Beach Drive downtown St. Pete and across the way you have a beautiful view of the bay. It was a perfect winter day, cooler temps no humidity and perfect blue skies, basically the weather that makes you want to move back to Florida. Danielle's mom, Jen is a total foodie (apple doesn't fall from the tree) and when she recommends something you know it's going to be good. She had been there before and ordered the Grilled Romaine Salad and had been craving it ever since. Now I know why!! It was perfectly dressed with Caesar and topped with shaved parmesan. The romaine was still crunchy and the charred bites were the best. This salad was truly delicious.  The Kobe Beef Burgers were good, tender and topped with cheddar ch...

For a smaller city on the west coast of Florida, Sarasota has an expansive culinary and arts scene. It is fun to try new restaurants when visiting my father. I heard great things about Louies Modern and had to head downtown to check it out. I was impressed with their creative cocktail list and decided to try the Bright Eyes. It was fresh pressed carrot, apple, fennel, lemon, and ginger juice with mandarin vodka and lime. It is great how the mixologist combined juicing with alcohol. The combination was refreshing and not too sweet, perfect for a muggy Florida night.  We ordered the Burrata and it certainly was star of the show. What an appetizer!! Burrata is Italian mozzarella cheese and cream, basically melt in your mouth goodness. The tomatoes were fresh and local. It is great that they used different types and colors of heirloom and cherry tomatoes.   The ribbons of basil added freshness while the pickled cipollini onions added a sweet yet ...

I was in Bradenton, Florida visiting for two days. I  have to give a shout out to my father, it was his 85th birthday, what a milestone! I hope to be as healthy at that age.  It was nice  to discover a cafe besides the traditional breakfast places like Peaches and First Watch. An independent and creative cafe is a welcomed addition to the longtime lacking restaurant scene. Gluten-free wasn't even in Bradenton's vocabulary and now . . . Ta da, gluten-free options on a menu, I am loving it.  Paleo is not about gluten-free products, it  is about making whole foods without gluten. So technically, I cheated with my choice for breakfast but it was worth every bite.  How pretty is that? I ordered berries with gluten-free French toast, yum! It wasn't too sweet and the berries perfectly ripe. The egg did not take over the taste of the toast which is my pet peeve, it was perfect. I had a bite of my father's apricot and cream cheese stu...