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

Frescos, St. Petersburgh

This week our good friends invited us on a boating excursion of Tampa Bay. What a treat! The day was picture perfect, the Bay was relatively calm, and we were wise enough to go midweek and avoid the crowds. We ended up in St. Pete at Frescos and if you've never docked at a marina and hopped out of the boat onto the pier you are definitely missing something. I felt positively jaunty. There's even a special boat parking meter - who knew?

We found a table on the patio and enjoyed the balmy breeze and the view of a variety of very cool looking yachts and boats. It really is a whole way of life, this boating thing.

Hollie and I both ordered the Portabella Salad: a beautiful presentation of Yellow Squash, Zucchini, Roasted Red Peppers and Feta with a Balsamic glaze. It was almost too pretty to eat but I tucked in and finished half of the very large portion with an eye toward bringing the other half home for later. Too bad for me that while we were talking and looking around hubby stole my reserved Portabella Mushroom and gobbled it up. Harumph....oh well.

Hubby had the Steak Portabella Wrap: Sliced sirloin, portabella mushrooms, spinach, sautéed onions, roasted red pepper, provolone and horseradish sauce with a side of Bowtie Pasta. He reports that the steak was very tender and he enjoyed it immensely (and then stole my Portabella Mushroom....no I'm not letting it go). Service was quick and efficient and we thought at first that our young waitress was taking a personal phone call while servicing her tables only to learn that her phone was a mini POS system. Marvelous. Some time back I wrote a review of a restaurant where instead of menus we were given a bunch of iPads on which to place our orders directly with the kitchen. I didn't like it at all, but I do applaud the use of iPhones as POS systems.

Mike opted for the Steak Sandwich topped with mushrooms & caramelized onions served on a hoagie with French Fries. Yum.

This part of St. Pete is so charming with museums and restaurants and shops and parks. Whether by boat or by car I've put this lovely part of town on my List of Places to Go as there's lots to explore.

http://www.frescoswaterfront.com

Located in Downtown St. Petersburg at the foot of the Pier

Bella BRAVA - St. Petersburgh

BRAVA Bella Brava! This restaurant got a big thumbs up from all eight of us (yes, even hubby). Bella Brava is located on the very busy corner of Beach Drive and 2nd Avenue NE across from the yacht basin, a very colorful and bustling area of town.

The service here was very good with a charming and attentive waitress that saw to all our needs smoothly. The ambiance was lively and a bit noisy but not terribly so. The floor to ceiling windows afforded sweeping views of the street and we were entertained by the passersby. We love to people watch, especially young people. Back in the bubble of Kings Point where we live we are lost in a sea of gray hair and casual clothes primarily purchased at Beall's. How refreshing to see beautiful young people dressed to impress on a Saturday night. I must say we clean up pretty nicely ourselves and enjoy stepping out and feeling like we're still 'happening'!

We ordered a bottle of Malbec but frankly thought it paled in comparison to the bottle we enjoyed at Roast last month. I did appreciate that the waitress took the initiative to split the cost of the bottle between the three of us who were sharing it and this avoided any awkwardness at the end.

Several of us started off with the Misticanza Salad, a delightful blend of romaine, radicchio, spinach, cracked olives, tomatoes, and a honey basil vinaigrette - it was delicious.

Ken gets points for finding a restaurant that not only provided a gluten free menu for Hollie, but a burger option for Mike who threw us all a curve by ordering Spaghetti & Meatballs which he praised heartily.

Hubby caught a glimpse of pizza passing by and decided he had to have one. Keep in mind that he and I grew up in NYC and we know a little sumpin' sumpin' about pizza - this one got high marks and he enjoyed it very much. One surprising menu item was the Crostata - rigatoncini, pomodoro sauce, housemade sausage, house roasted peppers, ricotta, sage, fresh mozzarella, topped with an asiago cheese bread crust. Ken enjoyed it but we all had to laugh when it was placed in front of him as it looked like a giant pie, one you'd expect a few blackbirds to fly out of.

Three of us gals went for the Chicken Giardino - a wood-grilled chicken paillard, with tomato, basil, red onion, arugula, and very creamy mascarpone mashed potatoes. This was a delightful dish, a good sized serving, and one that you could feel virtuous about as it featured healthy ingredients.

Of course all that virtue was undone when we ended the evening at Ken & Cheryl's to celebrate Ang's birthday with an amazing coconut cake (from Publix), coffee and some laughs. But hey, I only had a little piece! I'll wrap up this post with an example of why I love this part of town - check out the sassy lizard relaxing on a bench along Beach Street. These whimsical bronze statues dot the area and make me smile.

204 BEACH DR. NE, ST. PETERSBURG, FL 33701 / 727.895.5515 / bellabrava.com