Take 3

  Bella Brava on Central Avenue in downtown St. Petersburg has been trying to remake it's menu now for what seems like a year. Sometimes we grab a table, but most often we grab a seat at the bar for a quick bite. The short lived bar menu is now gone, and so is the little bite-sized burger that tasted anything but small. So on a muggy Friday evening we grabbed a seat at the bar for an ice cold Peroni on draft and a look at the menu.

  After realizing the bar menu was no more we looked at the main menu and noticed a few additions and a few subtractions. New to the appetizer menu was a wood-fire oven baked corn polenta with roasted mushrooms and aged pecorino toscana (pictured above on the left). How could something so simple be so complex. Rosemary in the polenta complemented the creamy Tuscan cheese. A little larger serving could have satisfied as a meal.

  The Arancini (above right) are risotto fritters and always a favorite, but a tweaking of the aoli sauce gives the warm crunchy fritter a sweet sweet taste, and the fritter itself seemed to lack a lot of flavor.

  One interesting discovery from the bar was Mitcher's American WHISKEY, yes whiskey. Distilled in bourbon famous Bardstown, Kentucky; this whiskey had a very spicy taste but not a harsh bite. The distiller also produces an aged 10 year old bourbon. Bella Brava, according to the bartender, is one of only two establishments in Pinellas county to get it. They were out put plan to have more in soon. This Kentucky boy might have to go investigate. 

Burger Joint Chili

  Johnny Rockets is known as a retro 50's burger joint. Though a chain, they do a decent burger. But you can also find a great bowl of red there. Jane says it reminds her of the chili her grandfather use to make when she was a little girl. They lived just south of Cincinnati in northern Kentucky. That might explain why the hint of cinnamon and chocolate in Rockets chili tastes so familiar.

  It's thick, it's rich and it takes a few minutes for them to heat it up in the morning when they open for lunch. So get there a little after the doors open and enjoy a little taste of a nostalgic chili.

Usually Good

  I've been stopping at the Chattaway on 4th Street South in St. Petersburg for over twenty years. Myself and a couple of artists I use to work with would stop by for a beer or two after work. The little handmade bar with the surly bartender/co-owner Everett was separated from 22nd Avenue South by a few dried out plants dying in cracked bathtubs. Traffic whizzed by, stereos blasting,  stirring the dust from the dirt parking lot into the muggy night air.

  The Chattaways been around since before World War II, and they've been making burgers since the doors opened. The Chattaway was even recognized in the 1980's by US Today for it's burger. And I've eaten hundreds of Chattaburgers there.

  But I've run into a bit of bad luck there lately. The last THREE times I've order my beloved Chattabuger w/ cheese Platter I've ordered it the same way; medium well with pickle, onion and mustard only. And it's come out different every time. This weekend (pictured above) I got cheese and onions only, which is definitely better than the way it came out the time before... fully loaded. I don't know if it's the servers or the kitchen, but I hope my old friend gets its act together. 

Bamboozled?

  The Bamboozle Cafe is the newest player in downtown Tampa trying to lure in hungry suits for lunch. They offer fresh rolls, noodle salads and sandwiches on toasted baguettes, all made to order with your choice of meats and veggies.   

  We started with the Traditional Vietnamese Roll, thin rice paper stuffed with steamed prawns, pork, vermicelli noodles, green leaf lettuce, cucumber, chives and mint. With a number of dipping sauces to choose from, it wasn't a bad way to start off. The Noodle Salad with Prawns was mediocre and had to be doused with dressing just to coax out a little flavor. But the daily special, five-spice bar-b-q pork sandwich (pictured above) hit the mark. Warm and flavorful, the pork rested between two halves of a perfectly toasted baguette. Could have done without the slaw like salad on top, it just got in the way. With no sides to go along with the sandwiches, we had to go back for round two of the Vietnamese Roll to feel satisfied enough to face the rest of the work day.

A Little Lunch

  Finally had a minute or two to go through a few purchases from Japan. The Japanese love miniatures and that has created a fad for miniature food. This toy food is the perfect size for Barbie to throw down a great party but even though small, has incredible detail.

  Above are several pieces from the Sushi Collection and the other is from the "American" Food Collection. There are ten different sets in each collection and they come in identical boxes, soooo, you don't know which set is inside until you open it. Great idea, you might have to buy 20 or 30 boxes , if not more, to get the complete set. Each box also has a small sushi menu and a small piece of gum inside. And how do you display your hard bought collection. They sell small display cases such as a conveyor sushi counter to set up your prized possessions.

Hot Time in the City

  This time of year in Tampa Bay means three things, the temperature suddenly climbs over 90 degrees, the humidity overwhelms you and an annual outdoor food and music festival is held. The Taste of Pinellas is an opportunity to listen to some lesser music from the 80's ( Rick "Eli Love" Springfield and Eddie Money this year), but the main reason to go is the food. So as the temperature soared we dusted off our bicycles  and pedaled up to Vinoy Park on the waterfront in St.Pete.

  Many of our favorite local restaurants were in attendance but one that we couldn't remember visiting stole the show for us. Snappers Sea Grill on St. Pete Beach offered Seared Diver Scallops over an Asian Couscous. The line in front of their booth didn't lie. The scallops had a great rub and were seared perfectly. The refreshing Asian couscous with cucumbers, carrot and cilantro made for a perfect combination. So much so that we went back for a return visit.

Fish On!

  Though the menu leans toward Mexico and the Southwest, Z Grille on Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete knows how to fish. We love Mama's Pork Tamales cooked in corn husks but do yourself a favor and look at their nightly specials. It seems to always have fresh fish on it and it's always GREAT. Last outing we had Sesame Crusted Hog Snapper with a pineapple, tomato and avocado salad with a siracha vinaigrette and sweet soy reduction.

 We are not huge pineapple fans when it comes to seafood, but Z Grille has impressed us in the past. The fish was cooked perfect and the pineapple didn't overwhelm. And with over 30 beers including a 32 oz. bottle of Tecate and yummy sangria, you can even get in to 80's rockers April Wine blasting in the kitchen.

  Note: Z Grille will be moving part of their operation to the new Signature Place condos when complete. They'll keep their current location to cater to the downtown lunch crowd, and step it up a notch at their new location.