photos and descriptions of what makes our world a pleasure
emphasis on Florida and the Tampa Bay area but also far beyond

Asian food

Lucky Star Hong Kong Style Chinese Restaurant

May 27, 2010
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If you’re in the mood for authentic Cantonese on the St. Pete side of the bay there’s really only two places: ABC Seafood, reviewed earlier in Inkwatu, and the Lucky Star Hong Kong Style Chinese Restaurant (4175 66th Street North, St Petersburg, FL 33709-4915; 727-381-8888‎; map). On the Tampa side of the bay, my favorite [...]

Philfest 2010

March 31, 2010
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Can there be any doubt that the mix of family, friends, and food is one of life’s greatest pleasures? One look at the pictures accompanying this article should be proof. Those smiles are deeply felt. Joined in common cause, these families and friends celebrate their Filipino community while preparing their culture’s foods. “Backstage” is where [...]

Perk up your sandwich with kimchi

February 19, 2010
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Anything tastes better rolled in a tortilla or layered into a sandwich. That basic truth is helping me to eat more vegetables. I sometimes even find salads tedious to eat, but when I roll them into a tortilla, I love them ever bit as much as an unhealthy burrito.   This post isn’t even a [...]

TC Choy’s

September 26, 2009
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A FEW KITCHEN SPECIALS: (FROM LEFT TO RIGHT) SALT & PEPPER SHRIMP, FRIED TOFU STUFFED WITH SHRIMP PASTE, CHINESE BROCCOLI IN OYSTER SAUCE, EGGPLANT STUFFED WITH SHRIMP PASTE I’m proud to announce that the September 2009 issue of Asia Trend Magazine carries my first article and photos as one of their contributing food writers. Asia [...]

Thai Kitchen

May 20, 2009
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statue just inside entrance   On 62nd Avenue North, not far from Phat Phap Temple, the Vietnamese Buddhist temple, is a small, but very good restaurant, the Thai Kitchen (1126 62nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33702-7422; 727-525-8748). I definitely recommend it, not only because it’s very good food at reasonable prices in a very [...]

A progressive Vietnamese lunch-break

April 15, 2009

click here for larger image HERBAL DUCK SOUP AT BEN THANH A “progressive dinner” is an affair where a group of friends decide to have appetizers at the home of one of the friends, the soup or salad course at another’s home, the entree at another’s, and dessert at another’s. You “progress” from one home [...]

Arbors Records

February 25, 2009

click here for larger image FIRST ANNUAL ARBORS RECORDS INVITATIONAL JAZZ PARTY   Recently, I had the opportunity to photograph backstage at the Arbors Records First Annual Arbors Records Invitational Piano Jazz Party at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort on Clearwater Beach. There’s a lot of jazz in Florida and a lot here in the [...]

Arts and Crafts

February 4, 2009

click here for larger image FRAN SIMS BEADED HANGING (SHOWN HORIZONTALLY) Arts & Crafts Whenever I’ve felt like “running away from home” (from responsibilities, from humdrum, grinding routine) I’ve fantasized about quitting all jobs and surviving by selling homemade art (water colors, photos, prints, whatever) along the side of the road. So far, I’ve not [...]

BKK Thai Cuisine and Sushi Bar

January 31, 2009

click here for larger image SPICY LIME GROUPER One of the most convincing reviews I ever read once was, “Just go!” I’m going to quote that author here regard the BKK Thai Restaurant (5267 Park St. N., Pinellas, Florida 33709; 727-545-1781): “Just go!” BKK is the designation for the Bangkok airport. The last time I [...]

Savannah

January 14, 2009

Click here to see higher resolution slideshow. SAVANNAH: RIVER STREET   Several friends and family members of mine, independently, visited Savannah, Georgia, to celebrate this past New Year’s eve. From all reports it was an excellent celebration. Other friends make an almost annual pilgrimage to visit all the sites featured in Midnight in the Garden [...]

Nitally’s Thai-Mexican Fusion Cuisine

December 3, 2008

  NOTE: Nitally’s has relocated to bigger and better quarters at 2462 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, FL. Same good food, just more of it and more space and parking too! Nitally’s Thai Coffee House (1040 4th St. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701) offers something I have never heard of before, nor could I find it [...]

SPIFFS — 2nd Annual Asian Pacific Rim Festival 2008

October 15, 2008

  This past weekend, October 11th and 12th, SPIFFS (the St. Petersburg International Folkfair Society) presented its 2nd Annual Asian Pacific Rim Festival 2008. I was fortunate to be able to attend their first one last year. It was a good beginning and this year was even better. I hope this becomes successfully established and [...]

Tampa: Sa Ri One Korean Bulgogi Restaurant

October 4, 2008

Sa Ri One In an earlier post on Atlanta’s Seoul Gardens Korean Japanese Restaurant, I talked about bulgogi, Korean barbeque. A restaurant in Tampa that I’ve gone to ever since it opened is Sa Ri One Korean Bulgogi Restaurant (3940 W. Cypress St., Tampa, FL 33606; 813-874-2911). It’s a little pricey, but not so much [...]

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