a bit of Skyway Jacks history

Skyway Jack’s is one of my long-time favorite St. Pete breakfast spots, dating back to its original location by the old Skyway Bridge. But, in addition to the current location described in the Inkwatu post linked to above, there’s also a new, additional location: 11140 4th Street North, Saint Petersburg, FL 33716-2900; 727-576-4100. I haven’t been to it yet, but will eventually. Hope they were able to maintain the menu and ambiance of the old joints.

That’s why I was so happy to learn from the owners of Island Seafood Market & Bistro of Angie’s Front Porch Cafe (495 7th Ave. N., St. Petersburg, FL 33701; 727-320-4540).

Angie’s has a very nice Sunday brunch buffet!

Their website, angiesfrontporchcafe.com/frontporchcafe/, has an old address, the correct one is above. They also have a Facebook page.

Overlooking the historic Round Lake (pictured at the top of this post), Angie’s is in a vintage building (pictured above) that it shares with a laundromat. There’s plenty of parking on the street and in the lot immediately behind the building (the tow signs concerned me, but they assured me it was OK to park there).

Their website gives their lunch menu and breakfast menus. I love the fact that I’ve finally found a place where I can have a choice of plenty of salads, soups, sandwiches and wraps–just the kind of food I like for lunch. I’m not a sweets person, particularly, but if I were, Angie’s would have plenty to satisfy me. I will definitely try their key lime pie, soon.

But, speaking of sweets, they have bananas foster on their Sunday buffet. I’d never had that before. I didn’t even know how to dish it up; I had to ask. There, at least, you serve it over some very good French toast. I loved it. I have no prior experience to compare the quality to, but it sure tasted good to me.

The decor is comfortingly cozy and cluttered with cards, crafts, and tchochkes for sale. The place was packed with, obviously, very happy and friendly neighborhood regulars. It was a pleasant experience to eat there.

The Sunday I was there, there was an extremely good singer/guitarist of the very, very mellow variety. Usually, when I see that there’s “live music” somewhere, I groan and try to avoid going. Not with this fellow. I thoroughly enjoyed his performance and it was appropriate to the intimate setting at Angie’s.

I’ll be back to Angie’s!

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 is China Yuan, but over here in St. Pete, I’m partial to Lucky Star, not only because of its food, which is so flavorful you never even think of reaching for soy sauce, but also because Lucky Star, in its earlier incarnation on 34th Street before their fire and relocation, was my introduction to authentic Cantonese food in St. Pete. The earlier restaurant was one of the many little experiences that accumulated to inspire me to move to St. Pete.

I was introduced to it by a friend whose father had had a similar restaurant while my friend was growing up. He showed me the dishes that the Lucky Star had that made it a special place and helped me to feel comfortable there. Sadly, by the time I moved to St. Pete my friend had, himself, moved to a different city and the Lucky Star had closed because of a kitchen fire. Then, the owners finally reopened up on 66th Street, north of Tyrone Mall. It’s been a favorite of mine ever since and I’m remiss in not having reviewed it earlier.

It’s open 7 days a week, but only in the late afternoon and evenings (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 3pm to 1am; Tuesday 3pm-11pm; Saturday and Sunday 1pm-1pm). Notice that it’s open into the wee hours for late-late dining. That truly makes it a special place.

But, it’s the food that really makes it special. Here are just a few of the dishes, from their large menu, that you won’t find on less authentic restaurants around town:

• Shark Fin Soup
• Jelly Fish
• Spicy Duck Feet
• Fried Chitterling
• Spicy Chicken Feet
• Preserved Duck Wing
• Blue Crab
• Pepper Corn Squid
• Sautéed Conch
• Bird’s Nest Seafood
• Razor Clam
• Braised Sea Cucumber
• Snail w/Black Bean
• Frog with Chinese Chive
• Steam Salted Fish with Minced Pork

Lest you think the Lucky Star’s appeal rests only upon these more exotic dishes, let me stress that it’s the taste that keep me coming back there. And, the dishes that I, myself, order are the ones that are a little less adventuresome: the casseroles, vegetables, and sizzling plates.

A friend and I, who have, several times, gone there for their whole roast duck, which is spectacularly crunchy, were there again recently and were blown away by two of their sizzling plates: Sa Cha Eggplant and Garlic Shrimp. There wasn’t anything left by the time we were finished eating. We were dickering over who got to lick the plates.

They also have a number of fried rice and noodle dishes. I’m a fan of both those, especially noodles, so I’m slowly working my way through them. Next time I go, I’m going to try the Cantonese Pan Fried Noodles.

They seem to have two menus, one that’s more authentic foods and one that caters to the typical American-”Chinese” fast food tastes. It’s fun looking at that second one, too. That one actually has five chop suey dishes!

The origins of the dish, “chop suey,” are not clear. I make that plural because, as the Wikipedia entry (Chop suey) points out, some think it originated in San Francisco during its early days and some say it came from Taishan, in Guangdong Province. Adding to the confusion is that some early Chinese restaurateurs in the US served a dish of mixed entrails, calling it “chop suey.” This, the Chinese, themselves, did not eat. So, there’s a lot of confusion around the term.

I assume that chop suey is really kind of a late-19th century/early 20th century American-Chinese food, much lacking in authenticity…about as authentic as the game mah jong, which is to say, Not much! But, for me, there’s considerable nostalgia in the dish. When I was a little kid, when our parents would take us into the city (St. Louis) to eat, chances were we’d eat at a huge, Art Deco style cafeteria. My favorite dishes there were egg fu young and chop suey. I’m not sure why. I think it was the sound of the words and a taste for the exotic even at age 5.

Now, that version was definitely of the non-authentic (but not entrails!) type, typified by this Woolworth’s recipe. I love the opening ingredient in that recipe: “1 tablespoon lard or Crisco shortening.” This was in the days of a St. Louis that still had electric buses that click-click-clicked around town. I tried to identify the name of that old Art Deco cafeteria (it wouldn’t exist now, of course), but couldn’t. However, my searching did turn up a neat page–a list of defunct restaurant chains (see Defunct restaurant chains of the United States).

I was also pleased to discover, during my couple years residence recently in Hawaii, that Honolulu sports a number of restaurants exclusively devoted to chop suey (see this Google search). So, if you get a hankering for chop suey, check out what they have at the Lucky Star.

However, I recommend you try one of their more authentic dishes. Everything there is good. You simply can’t go wrong. I very, very highly recommend the Sa Cha Eggplant sizzling plate.

exterior Madeleina Cottage Restaurant

This is a repost of material buried in a much longer, earlier post about something else: Gulfport Trolley Day. I’m extracting this material and reposting it here to give the Madeleina Cottage Restaurant the focus it deserves.

At the end of a long day of exploring various trolley servies in St. Petersburg, a friend and I decided to treat ourselves to a fine English meal at Madeleina Cottage Restaurant, which is practically across the street from the bus stop in the Corey Avenue shopping district.

interior Madeleina Cottage Restaurant

cheese steak sandwich

fish and chips

Gulfport Hideaway Apartments

• Gulfport Fresh Market
• Gulfport, Florida
• Geckofest and other festivals
• Before TV
• Thai-rific
• O’Maddy’s

Even though I live in downtown St. Petersburg, I love coming down to Gulfport. I think the reason I enjoy it so much is that it reminds me of the Ocean Beach, Mission Beach, and Point Loma of my early college days. It’s a quintessential beach town. But…back to our quest: getting places from Gulfport, only on foot or by public transit.
 
Gulfport is within Pinellas County. The entire county is serviced by the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA). They have an excellent website utilizing Google Transit Trip Planner as well as PDFs of the various bus schedules. The regular PSTA bus system, in cooperation with a number of Trolley services, provides easy access to anywhere in the area.
 
Here’s a list of those services:

• The Gulfport Red Trolley services downtown Gulfport.
• The Gulfport/St. Pete Beach Connector Trolley connects Gulfport to the beaches.
• The PSTA Beach Trolley serves all the beaches on the barrier islands.
• The St. Petersburg Looper Trolley serves downtown St. Petersburg.
• The Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority (PSTA) serves all of Pinellas county and interconnects all the trolley services.
• This might seem more complicated than it really is. Just hop on any bus or trolley and tell them where you want to go; the drivers are very friendly and helpful.

Gulfport to the Beaches

We began our trek by walking two blocks east from the Gulfport Hideaway Apartments (5620 29th Ave. S., Gulfport, FL 33707) and one block south to the corner of Beach Blvd S & 30th Ave S where we waited at the bus stop in front of the Peninsula Inn (2937 Beach Boulevard South Gulfport, FL 33707-5547).

interior of Gulfport Connector Trolley

The signs on the left below, are the signs where we caught the Gulfcoast Connector Trolley. Notice that these stops are usually shared with regular PSTA bus stops.

left: PSTA and Gulfport Trolley signs; right: Suncoast Beach Trolley sign

inside K. Kringle’s Christmas & Holiday Shoppe in historic Corey Shopping District

75th Ave & Coquina Way down to Pass-a-grill beach

the Hurricane and trolley stop beside it

across the street from the Hurricane

Pass-a-Grille open air art show

Pass-a-grille Beach up to Indian Rocks Beach

Crabby Bill’s in Indian Rocks Beach

Indian Rocks Beach down to John’s Pass

We were starting to tire so we caught the Suncoast Beach Trolley back down south to John’s Pass. For more information on John’s Pass, see Inkwatu: John’s Pass Village & Boardwalk (the Friendly Fisherman & Hubbard’s Marina). On the way there, we passed one of my favorite beach restaurants, Dockside Dave’s.

open air art show at John’s Pass

Heading home

Before we climbed aboard the Gulfport Connector Trolley to head on back to the Gulfport Hideaway Apartments, we decided to treat ourselves to a fine English meal at Madeleina Cottage Restaurant, which is practically across the street from the bus stop in the Corey Avenue shopping district.

exterior Madeleina Cottage Restaurant

interior Madeleina Cottage Restaurant

cheese steak sandwich

fish and chips

various barrier island beach locations

• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Beach trolley transfer station (75th Ave & Coquina Way)
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Pass-a-Grille Beach
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Indian Rocks Beach
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to John’s Pass
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Madeira Beach
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary

various shopping opportunities

• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Walgreen Drugstore
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Sweetbay grocery store
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Publix grocery store
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Tyrone Square Mall
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Williams Park (downtown St. Petersburg) and St. Pete Pier

various entertainment venues

• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Beach Theater
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Muvico Baywalk Theatres
• Gulport Hideaway Apartments to American Stage
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to St. Petersburg Coliseum
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Palladium Theater
• Gulfport Hideaway Apartments to Museum of Fine Arts

Note: If you visited the Gulfport Hideaway Apartments website, you’ll notice that some of today’s post is quoted from that website. That was done with permission since I wrote the copy for and designed that website.

The tagline of Inkwatu is “Delights, Near and Far.” Many of these delights are independently owned food establishments (restaurants or markets) with tasty food, pleasing ambiance, friendly staff, ethnic authenticity, inventive dishes, and reasonable prices. Some of these delights are activities, events, locations, artists, buildings, aspects of nature, books, and non-food businesses that grab me, that contribute to a sense of well-being, that make living fun.

One of those delights is seeing local entrepreneurs with great ideas become successful. One instance is Ester Venouziou, founder of LocalShops1.com. She began LocalShops1.com (in her own words), because “Many small businesses don’t have the time or money to invest in a quality Web site or a huge marketing campaign. So we wanted to create a place where they all could be listed, for free. We want to show the world the creativity, beauty and uniqueness that Indies have!”

She continues, ” I grew up in Brazil, and some of my favorite memories have to do with shopping, mostly with my grandmother and my sister, on Saturday mornings. We’d go to the produce market, chat with the vendors as we picked up fruits and veggies. Then it was off to a meat market, or to the fish guy. Along the way we stopped at the newsstand, where my grandmother picked up the daily paper. Eventually we’d end up at my parents’ shop, a fabric store named after my mom.”

Ester’s concept—creating an interactive community of local shoppers and shops—is well thought out. As she points out, “On a typical November day, the Tampa Independence Business Alliance reports, if all taxable purchases in Hillsborough County were made at locally owned independent businesses instead of national chains, it would make a $28 million dollar difference to the local economy. Economics aside, supporting the independents helps link us to the past, and ensures our communities retain charm and character in the future.”

The depth and importance of this idea wasn’t lost on local movers and shakers: LocalShops1.com recently won a $250,000 media package sponsored by Humana &. Fifth Third Federal Bank, Tampa Tribune, WFLA news Channel 8, tbo.com, 820 AM newstalk, 1040 ESPN Tampa Bay, Tampa Bay Business Journal, and Tampa Bay magazine. What a tremendous achievement for only having been in operation one year.

Ester—she’s very much a “first name” personality–creates this community through a number of different avenues:

• a magazine (online copy of first issue) managed by Marisa Barbosa,
• expert branding and ads by Malcolm Out Loud,
• a gang of coordinators who are a big part of LocalShops1.com‘s success: Latoya Brown, Gulfport/Beaches/south Pinellas county coordinator; Pat Largo, Pasco county coordinator; Brenda Smoak, Manatee/Sarasota counties coordinator; Jennifer Steele, St. Petersburg/North Pinellas coordinator,
• on facebook: www.facebook.com/localshops1com,
• on twitter: www.twitter.com/LocalShops1com,
• various events such as parties, clothing swaps, etc., and
• where it all comes together, the website: LocalShops1.com.

I have a shopper’s membership with LocalShops1.com. I encourage you to get one, too. It’s free. The website is your key to checking out LocalShops1.com. When you go there, you’ll notice that the front page lists the latest news regarding local shopping including the coming LocalShops1 social gatherings which are key to the success and uniqueness of what Ester has created. Examples are (at the time of the writing of this post) a party at Bradenton Beach and a Clothes Swap in Dunedin as well as a contest with a $50 prize.

On the website, you’ll find a list of more than 800 businesses listed, making it Tampa Bay’s largest network of local, independent businesses and independent-minded shoppers. I say “more than” because the list expands, daily. An important website page is the 1CardOffers page which lists a number of outstanding offers by businesses. This is a page you’ll want to print out and keep in your car. You’ll also want to print out the Sales page which lists current sales, in addition to the above promotions, from the business members. Be sure to check the News page for all the latest on local shopping events.

I want to say it again because it’s so important: memberships for shoppers and basic listings for businesses are FREE!.

There are also expanded plans for businesses starting at 55 cents a day. You can contact LocalShops1.com by email, phone (727.637.5586), or mail (P.O. Box 530144, St. Petersburg, FL 33747). Ester says, “we’re always looking for journalism, marketing and web interns to join our staff; as well as smart, happy, not-pushy experienced salespeople.” Whether as an intern, a volunteer, a business, or a shopper, LocalShops1.com is a phenomenon–you definitely want to be a part of it.

OPEN HEARTH BBQ AT JAZZY’S

There is a gold standard for barbecues: Leatha’s, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (6374 U S Hwy 98; 601-271-6003). I had the privilege of tasting that standard when my Mississippi Cuzn Don treated me and part of his family to supper there. I got to experience, first hand, the prodigious memory of Miss Leatha’s daughter’s memory. She can take an order for a table of a dozen or more and repeat it back, properly assigned to each customer, in complete detail without writing it down, after only hearing it once.

JAZZY’S BARBECUED RIBS

But, the food at Leatha’s, is of course, why everybody goes there. It’s tops. As I understand the story, her old restaurant was destroyed by some natural disaster–flood I think–and a group of businessmen bought her a new place just so the city of Hattiesburg would not be deprived of her cooking. It’s that good.

JAZZY’S BARBECUED CHICKEN

Well…I thought Leatha’s was the gold standard until I ate at Jazzy’s in Tampa. A motorcyclist friend habituates Jazzy’s (5703 W. Waters Ave., Tampa, FL 33634-1216; 813-243-8872) whenever he and his buddies go riding out in west Tampa. He took his wife and I to eat there not too long ago and I am grateful. I now know the gold standard for barbeque is in my own backyard: Jazzy’s BBQ — Taste and See! — It’s all good!

JAZZY’S BARBECUED HOMEMADE SAUSAGE

You can tell you’re at a REAL barbeque when you drive into Jazzy’s parking lot because beside the building is an enormous pile of chopped firewood. When you step inside, you’re greeted by the maestro of the kitchen wielding a cleaver, artfully chopping ribs and chicken he’s just taken off the open hearth grill behind the counter where you place your order. In addition to the ribs and chicken and various side dishes, they also have their own homemade smoked sausage which I just had to have (I’m a rabid “sausageanista.”) It was perfect: tasty, soft inside with a crispy, natural casing. And the sauce…oh my.

YOU KNOW IT’S A REAL BARBECUE WHEN THE WOOD IS STACKED OUT BACK

The AOL yellowpages has this review from which I’d like to quote a paragraph about the owner of Jazzy’s:

“Retired NFL player Johnny Ray Smith, a defensive back for the Tampa Bay Bucs 1981-84, opened Jazzy’s in the mid 1990s. It didn’t take long for the restaurant to gain a loyal clientele of area industrial and office workers, as well as people calling in orders from the farthest reaches of Hillsborough County. With just an order counter, some airbrush art and formation of two-seater tables, the 50-capacity Jazzy’s has become a favorite for barbecue lovers all over Tampa Bay. It’s all that wood that goes in the pit. You see those hickory logs piling up outside and smell it smoking juicy meat the moment you step out of your car (a torturous tease when driving by). Everything is homemade at Jazzy’s: Smith makes the sauce on the premises, one sweet and mild, the other hot and peppery, and the desserts are also prepared by Johnny’s wife, co-owner Pam Smith – sumptuous 7-Up pound cake, mini pecan or sweet potato pies.”

ONE OF THE MURALS AT JAZZY’S

This is an extremely comfortable place with a welcoming atmosphere and worth the drive from any point within the greater Tampa Bay area. On Fridays they have some special items they don’t have the rest of the week: mac and cheese, collards and cornbread. Next time, you can bet I’m going on a Friday!

JAZZY’S BBQ — TASTE AND SEE! — IT’S ALL GOOD!

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 Trend Magazine is out of Winter Park, Florida, but has a circulation that covers the entire state. You can pick up a copy of the magazine, for free, in most Asian establishments. You can also see my article online in an Adobe Flash version, or you can read it below where I’ve reposted it with permission of Asia Trend Magazine. If you really want to make yourself hungry, you can view a full-size slideshow of the photos in the post as well as the original photos that comprise the collage photos. (I really recommend the slideshow–it’s mouthwatering!)

THE OCEANIC FAMILY

The website for the Oceanic Oriental Supermarket contains this evocative phrase: “From its humble beginnings as a small dry goods store over the years to an indispensible Tampa establishment providing products from rosewood furniture to fresh fish to imported and locally grown produce…”

I remember that small, humble store well. I shopped there often over the years and watched as it grew to its present, supermarket size. Shopping at Oceanic was always an exciting experience and it still is. Most recently, Oceanic’s growth has extended into an entire family of related businesses, which includes not only the Asian grocery, but also a restaurant equipment supply store, a video and stationary store, and T.C. Choy’s Asian Bistro, Tampa’s premiere Asian restaurant.

T.C. CHOY’S ASIAN BISTRO

T.C. Choy’s hits that sweet spot between Eastern culinary authenticity and Western dining expectations—it fully satisfies both. The decor is subdued with muted earth colors highlighting an impressive translucent mural isolating the main dining area from a small liquor bar. Soft music plays in the background, (J.S. Bach, the day I was most recently there) while off to one side of the main dining area there is a sushi bar. There is also a small, beautifully appointed, secluded private dining room for special occasions. In the main dining room, behind the sushi bar, is an open kitchen where cooks prepare traditional as well as innovative Asian dishes. T.C. Choy’s website (www.tcchoysbistro.com) details their entire, extensive menu. But today, I would like to call your attention to their dim sum.

DIM SUM

Dim sum, in case you’re not familiar with the term, is a Chinese dining tradition during which a number of small dishes are served with tea, not unlike tapas in Spanish cuisine. The customers select these dishes from carts that are wheeled around the room from dining table to dining table. These are shared, family style, among the friends and family who have gathered at table. One of the things that’s especially nice about T.C. Choy’s is that they have preserved the custom of carts pushed around the room. These days, too many restaurants that serve dim sum, simply bring a short dim sum menu from which you order and then the ordered dishes are brought to your table. In keeping to tradition, T.C. Choy’s emphasizes the freshness and temperature of the dim sum they serve.

Now, you must understand that dim sum is a shared event and it’s done leisurely, with much good conversation and goodwill. The result is that a seemingly gargantuan amount of food is consumed. In preparing for this review of T.C. Choy’s, I sampled their baked barbeque pork buns, sesame seed ball in lotus paste, siu mai (pork & shrimp dumpling), steamed chicken feet with black bean, steamed spare ribs with black bean, pan fried turnip cake (daikon radish cake), pan fried chives dumpling with shrimp and mushrooms, shrimp and rice-noodle roll, steamed tofu-skin shrimp and pork rolls, and sticky rice (with chicken, shrimp, mushroom, and pork sausage) wrapped in lotus leaf.

And, it didn’t end there! I also sampled a type of dim sum of T.C. Choy’s own invention which they call Kitchen Specials. Pictured are four Kitchen Specials: salt & pepper shrimp, fried tofu stuffed with shrimp paste, Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce, and eggplant stuffed with shrimp paste—all very tasty and worth the little extra they cost.

Sharon Choi, manager of T.C. Choy’s, assured me that in addition to their selection of dishes which are usually vegetarian, they will happily modify any dish to make it vegetarian. For instance, the pan fried chives dumpling with shrimp and mushrooms—a new dim sum dish for me and an instant, new favorite—can be made without the shrimp.

The steamed chicken feet were the best I’ve had anywhere, including Beijing. They had just the right texture (I like them “fluffy”). One has one’s favorites, of course, but everything I sampled was extremely good. I recommend T.C. Choy’s dim sum very highly. It’s served daily. Weekends are quite busy, so you might want to excuse yourself from work for a leisurely mid-week, extended lunch of dim sum at T.C. Choy’s. Just be sure you don’t have too much work planned for the afternoon because you’ll be serenely floating after swallowing clouds of dumplings.

T.C. Choy’s Asian Bistro (www.tcchoysbistro.com) is located at 301 S. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33606-1728; (813) 251-1191. The Oceanic Oriental Supermarket; Oceanic Restaurant Equipment Supply; and, Ocean Video and Stationary (www.oceanicmarket.com) are located at 1609 N. Tampa St., Tampa, FL 33602-2646; (813) 228-8110.

TURKISH TEA

Two friends of mine are planning an extended trip to Turkey this spring. They will be spending 10 whole days in Istanbul, allowing themselves to get to know the place a little deeper than the typical tourist. They did something similar with Finland a few years ago. They make the experience last well beyond those 10 nights in Istanbul by thoroughly indulging themselves in anticipatory behavior such as reading English-language Istanbul newspapers and Istanbul: Memories and the City by the Nobel prize winning author, Ferit Orhan Pamuk. Fortunately for you and me, one of their anticipatory activities is searching out good Turkish restaurants in the area!

MIXED APPETIZERS

The Tampa Bay area encompasses about 2,554.5 sq. mi. with a population of almost 2.8 million people.[ref] That’s the 19th largest metro area in the US. It sprawls around Tampa Bay with St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and other beach towns on the Pinellas County peninsula to the west and Tampa, Brandon, Bradenton, and Sarasota on the larger peninsula of Florida, itself, to the east and southeast. It definitely presents a challenge to those who feel compelled to sample all the wonderful restaurants available in the area.

In their quest for local Turkish restaurants, my friends found one that demanded to be visited. It’s on Hillsborough Avenue, west of the Veterans Expressway–quite a “fer piece” from either St. Petersburg or most of Tampa. However, my friends and I took the trek this past week, and the trek was worth it. In their mental preparations for their coming trip, my friends have discovered a goldmine: Shish Kebab & Turkish Cuisine (www.ShishTampa.com), 10061 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, FL 33615, 813-443-5118.

.

MEDITERRANEAN SALAD AND ADANA KEBAB

I recommend this restaurant, very highly. It’s too far for me to visit except on special occasions, but I will definitely be back. My friends and I went at lunch-time. The Shish website has a complete menu; view it, and you can see that they have very reasonably priced lunch specials. These “lunch size portions” are huge! One look at the photos in this post and you can see what I’m talking about. I can’t imagine what the dinner sized portions are like.

I want to go for dinner some evening, because the entire outside area in front of Shish has been set up with torches and numerous low, easy-chairs with equally low tables among them for those who come to smoke the hookah in the evenings–and, there is such a group; you’ll notice similar gatherings outside the S. Dale Mabry Borders coffee shop in the evenings and on weekends. The interior of Shish is equally exotic and restful, decorated with black and white prints of evocative photos of Turkey by the Tampa fine art photographer, Richard Stewart.

MIXED GREEN SALAD AND DONER KEBAB

One of my friends had Mixed Greens Salad with lemon and olive oil dressing and the Adana Kebab (chopped lamb flavored with red bell peppers and paprika). My other friend had the Mediterranean Salad (romaine, carrots, tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, lemon juice, olive oil, and feta cheese) with the Doner Kebab (spit grilled, thinly sliced, marinated ground lamb). I had a combination of two different dishes. They have a cold mixed appetizers and hot mixed appetizers. I asked if I could have some of each; they said yes. I selected my favorites: babaganush (pureed eggplant, sesame oil, lemon and garlic), stuffed grape leaves (rice, onion, currants, raisins, pine nuts and olive oil wrapped in grape leaves), falafel (deep fried patties of chickpea, parsley, onions, and mashed garlic) on top of humus (mashed chickpeas with lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, and garlic), and rolled cheese pie (lightly friend phyllo dough stuffed with feta cheese and parley).

All of this was preceded by sliced pita bread and a shared dish of cacik (homemade yogurt mixed with cucumber, mint, olive oil, and garlic). Following the meal, two of us pigged out on baklava for dessert. The other friend and I each had Turkish tea. When you go to Shish, have this tea–it’s not to be missed. I’m a bit of a “tea snob,” but most of my tea experience is limited to Chinese teas. I’m now a convert to Turkish tea as well; it has a most unusual taste. Throughout the meal, we sampled each other’s dishes and we were in complete agreement that this was very tasty eating. We swore to return. Here is a link to a full-sized SLIDESHOW of all the pictures in this post plus close-ups of each of the dishes mentioned above.

Best wishes to my friends on their enviable coming visit to Istanbul and many thanks for turning me on to Shish.

BAKLAVA