St Pete Sippin'

I actually had a free weekend and decided to take a drive to St. Petersburg Saturday and do a little exploring. When I think of St Pete the first thing that comes to mind is the Dali Museum and the Pier. The downtown area has really grown into a destination over the years and there always seems to be some event to keep the crowds coming.

We stumbled upon "Funk Fest 2011". Unfortunately we did not bring our lawn chairs, parachute pants or plan enough time to hangout with the likes of Bobby Brown and MC Hammer. You Can't Touch This! How much fun would that have been???

Instead we browsed the galleries and the waterfront before settling down for lunch outside at the Parkshore Grill. The sun was at full mast, a fresh breeze was blowing and we had a great view of the bay. Inside, the restaurant was sophisticated with a wine cellar that was calling my name.

The Parkshore has been written up a lot lately and now I see why. The chef is "green". I don't mean he's a novice, he buys food from local organic farmers, sustainably fished seafood, etc etc etc. Every dish on the menu had flair and looked appetizing.

The lunch menu was full of creative combinations; wraps, salads, panini's, sashimi and more. We opted for the "Picnic". Its a three-course feature including a salad, entree and dessert for $16. The Parkshore Salad was a bright combination of spring greens, pecans, blue cheese and dried cranberries in a creamy vinaigrette. We entertained our waiter guessing (quite successfully) the spices on the nuts. Yes, you can make spicy nut jokes now.

I had a flavorful, moist Lump Blue Crab Cake with spicy sweet tomato jam, buttermilk mashed potatoes and glass of Honig Sauvignon Blanc. I also got to try the Pecan Crusted Tilapia over sauteed spinach, simple and delicious. I wanted to stay for dinner to try more dishes. Next time.

If you're touring the Dali or attending any other events downtown St Pete, be sure to put the Parkshore on your itinerary.