The Moon Under Water, St. Pete

It's been years since I've been to an English Pub and I was lucky enough to visit a few in London so I can spot an authentic one when I see it. The Moon Under Water hits all the right notes for ambiance, and it has a pretty cool story to it's name. It refers to the trickery employed by 18th Century Recruiting Sergeants who would drop a Queen's shilling into the tankard of ale of some unsuspecting drunk while he wasn't looking. When the unwitting fellow got to the bottom and saw the shilling, that meant he was conscripted into the British Army because he'd 'accepted' the shilling. Thus the glass bottomed tankard was invented to allow a bloke to look under his mug and see the offending coin and thereby avoid drinking it. The sight of the shilling under water and the foam above became known as "The Moon Under Water."

The menu has something for everyone's taste and our party of eight enjoyed a variety of goodies. I had the Chicken Pot Pie and while it was tasty, I didn't much care for the gravy that held it all together as it was a little too thick. Several of our group had the Fish and Chips and all declared it a winner.

The servings were huge. Kathy had The Moon Cobb Salad, an extremely large portion that she fully enjoyed and still took some home for lunch the next day. Hollie had the Tandoori Chicken and some Chick Pea Naan type of bread and it looked amazing as well as tasting delicious. Hmmmm, I think I'll order that next time or better yet just let Hollie order for me. Ever wonder why there'd be Indian food on a British Pub menu? It dates back to the British colonization and the lucrative spice trade which introduced these flavors to English society. An 1852 cookbook stated 'few dinners are thought complete unless at least one curry is on the table".

Cheryl and I washed it all down with a delicious Malbec wine that went down very smooth. So the whole experience was lovely except for an unapologetic waiter who didn't seem to like that hubby complained that his salad and meal were brought together. We dine out quite often and it is customary for one's salad course to be served first. So when hubby objected and said he didn't want the salad anymore our waiter seemed to blame HIM for the confusion instead of just apologizing for the misunderstanding. Bad form. Dessert and coffee at the Kaplans finished off the evening with shared stories and laughter, the best digestive. We were already planning our next "Escape" so stay tuned for more delicious stories.

332 Beach Dr NE, St. Petersburg, FL 33701

www.themoonunderwater.com