More Than Smiles, at "Smiley's Snack Shack"

If you've ever been to St Pete Beach, you've seen the landmark Don Cesar; a sprawling pink hotel built in the 1920's. Just a few blocks north on Gulf Blvd, in stark contrast, stands the unassuming Smiley's Snack Shack. In my experience, "shacks" that sell food are incredible or terrible, there's generally no inbetween. This one was awesome!

I hesitate to write about it because one of the cool things about this place, at least for now, is the lack of tourists. Smiley's is truly a "local's" place.

The shack has about five stools, and not all of them will fit comfortably at the counter, it's a small space. After announcing we were Smiley's virgins, a man bragging about his "redneck" roots graciously surrendered his regular spot to the two new girls.

We played our "new girl card" for all it was worth over the next several hours. First, we sampled all three of the beers on tap; lined up side by side. Then ordered a bottle of Mont Gras Cabernet for a mere $11.

Over the course of the evening we tried many of Smiley's specialties, seems everything they do here is special. Like the single burger ($5), grilled to perfection, on an egg and potato bun. Everyone had an opinion about how to cook it, what ingredients to put on it and in what  order. The discussion got very animated; building a burger is taken seriously here.

You can't have a burger without fries. I loved opening the box to see smiley faces looking up at me. "Freudo", the bar tender, squirted ample amounts of ketchup on pieces of block paper used in lieu of plates.

We tried the Yum Yum Shrimp ($7.50) with Boom Boom sauce (chipotle and red pepper). It was messy,  had a great kick and offered lots of juvenile entertainment. For instance, "Hey chef, put the boom boom on my yum yum."

The staff appreciated the fact that we appreciated the  food and sent out a few more must have items. Like the giant Kegger Dog boiled in beer and something that's not on the menu; Griddlin' Cheese. Chef rolled tomato, onion and jalepeno inside of cheese then slow cooked it on the griddle. My new redneck friend was all about the Griddlin'. He assured me in a thick southern drawl "he (chef) don't make that for just anyone."

Someone cranked the volume on an old boom box behind the bar and we joined in the chorus of an even older Journey song. Bad dancing soon followed with too much laughter to measure. The laughter accompanied us on our walk home and still surfaces when I think of our spontaneous adventure at Smiley's.


***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

New Music: Eric Hutchinson

Eric Hutchinson is one of those artists; talented singer, talented songwriter, unpretentious and sadly unsung by the masses. Making the radio station rounds in hopes of getting his music heard by more people, Hutchinson stopped by 96-9 WINK-FM today. He's got a new CD coming out April 17th and gave us an acoustic preview of his new single "Watching You Watch Him"; an upbeat song about heartbreak. I can't explain it but the song feels like Texas to me, as in the state.

I really enjoyed "The Basement". Hutchinson said a bar by the same name in Massachusetts was his inspiration; a crazy dance party with music from the 40's and 50's, spun by an "older" DJ. He said it was one of those nights where you wake up the next morning and ask, "did that really happen?" If the acoustic version of that song had me dancing in my seat, I can only imagine how good it's gonna sound with a full band.

I first met Hutchinson about four years ago when he played a small Spring concert for the station. I assumed he would duck-out soon after he was done playing but he sat at a table with us in the bar, having drinks; so unassuming that people just walked by. I didn't know if it was cool or disappointing. I wanted to shout "DIDN'T YOU JUST HEAR THIS GUY???" But then again, he was followed onstage by The Script. At that time The Script was just starting to blow up in the U.S. and our audience was crazy for the Irish boys.

If you get a chance to see Hutchinson live, take it. His voice (to me) is more soulful live, than in these videos.  "Rock & Roll" is the first song that comes to mind when I think of Hutchinson. I like the second video, "OK, It's Alright With Me", because it shows more of that soulful style. Listen to the end to really get it. Newest video at the bottom







***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

Unexpected Bedfellows

I have blogged about my love of pizza, and how I've eaten it in even the most remote places in the world, so when I was invited to a pizza/wine tasting at Grimaldi's Pizzeria last night, I could hardly stand it!

The first pairing, presented by General Manager Phil Lawson, was completely unexpected; white pizza and white wine, a Riesling at that. Sometimes the wine snob within tries to raise it's ugly head and I could feel it stirring. Best way to subdue the beast is to feed it. The piping hot pizza was loaded with salty artichokes and spicy sausage. The flavors knocked the peach and other sweet fruits right out of the Mondavi Riesling ($7 glass/$25 bottle) for a surprisingly nice partnership.


I initially went to last night's tasting in search of an Italian Malbec, exclusive to Grimaldi's. Yes, Argentina's flagship red is being grown and bottled in Northern Italy, and while it doesn't hold candle to it's South American brother, it did the job when served with the meatball pizza. In a blind tasting I don't think I would've nailed the KRIS ($8 glass/$30 bottle) as a Malbec. It was a bit thin with some blueberry notes; a little earthy with a hint of cassis in the finish. I tasted some cardamon when drinking it with the meatballs. I would like to try it again with a few more years in the bottle.

I'm a big fan of Italian wines so was really looking forward to the next pairing. The Santa Christina Sangiovese ($6 glass/$20 bottle) from well-known Italian producer Antinori, was a delicious glass of dark fruit; a bit floral with some all-spice. That combination with the sweet, roasted red peppers and ricotta cheese pizza was a hit. Lawson said his chef's roast between two to three cases of red peppers a day. They cut cheese about seven hours a day. (insert Beavis and Butt-Head joke here)

There's something about saving the best for last. My favorite combo of the night was the Educated Guess Cabernet ($10 glass/$40 bottle) from Napa, paired with a bold onion and pepperoni pizza, with a lightly charred crust. The wine had hints of cocoa, french vanilla, cherry and leather. Lawson calls it one of the best values on Grimaldi's menu. Order this combo!

A little inside info for my gluten free friends; Grimaldi's has been working on a dough recipe for you. It's a challenge, finding one that holds up to the heat of the coal oven while maintaining the integrity and reputation of the dough that Grimaldi's is famous for. But know that you are not forgotten and will hopefully soon be accomodated!

***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

Love The Label

I was at a wine tasting this week and got to sample a lovely Riesling from Milbrandt Vineyards, in Washington State. It's a fruity Riesling, but not too sweet. For example, I tasted juicy apricots but also crisp citrus for a nice balance. I was dying to have a plate of spicy red curry from my favorite Thai restaurant with this wine.

I was looking at the bottle, taking notes when the distributor said, "Here take this". She ripped a perforated piece of the label off of the back, to my surprise, and handed it to me. The band-aid sized paper had such pertinent information as the grape, the year, a few tasting notes, a pairing suggestion and vineyard website.BRILLIANT! I wish all bottles had this.

I'm currently working on an article for "Times Of The Islands" Magazine about wine labels and Milbrandt, for sure, will be one of the wines I include. If you have any favorites for labeling, please share them with me!


***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

The Cellar Called; I Answered

I was recently trading stories of Tuscany with a friend who had just returned from three months in the beautiful Italian countryside. It made me want to buy a plane ticket in the worst way. As I sat reminiscing about the amazing food and wine I've consumed in Italy, a faint voice beckoned. I went to my wine cellar and peered at the rows of Italian treats I've been collecting over the years. I gently pulled out a bottle of 1996 Podere Capaccia, Querciagrande (a Sangiovese from Chianti) and decided it's time had come.

The big question when opening a big bottle is what to serve it with. It may not have been the best pairing, but I wanted eggplant parm. As I was cooking I opened the bottle for an initial taste. It started out remarkably balanced and smooth with lots of dark fruit and some tobacco. About 2 hours into the bottle (yes, I milked it that long) the chewy tannins started to appear; time has been kind to this wine. I was so happy!

I brought this bottle back from Italy ten years ago; when you could still carry liquids on planes and the dollar was actually worth something. I tried in vain to find tasting notes and values for the 96 vintage. I mostly wanted to see if it was a vintage that aged well.  But at the end of the day those stats really don't matter. What mattered was that the wine was awesome and I got to share it, and it's story with good friends over good food. Cheers!


***COMMENTS: Thanks to all my Facebook friends for posting so many great comments. I would LOVE it if you could also post your comments here on this blog site. Many people tell me they posted and it never showed up. Disappointing for us both. So click comment, type your comment, check the box that says "comment as" then hit post. If a word verification box does not appear next (a scrambled word to retype) your comment did not post. Thanks!

"That's What Friend's Are For"

Cell Phone: ring, ring
Me: Hello
Caller: Hello Gina, this is Dionne Warwick.

Cool, one of show businesses most successful female recording artists phoned me to talk about her performance this weekend in Fort Myers.

I started digging into Warwick's career and discovered that she is second only to Aretha Franklin as far as the most charted hits on Billboard by a female artist. She has 56 of them. Songs like; "Walk On By", "I Say A Little Prayer", "What The World Needs Now is Love" and dozens more.

But The first song that comes to mind when I think of Warwick is the 80's classic with Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Gladys Knight; "That's What Friends Are For". I will even admit to tearing up to it, on occasion. She told me that was one of the highlights of her career.

When I told her my full-time job was in radio she reminisced about how great radio was for her career, how it propelled her and how grateful she was for it. We talked a lot about how that has changed for artists now, many of whom get famous from video and the internet. I'm glad the interview was for print not broadcast because many of her answers to my questions were short and to the point. For example I asked what  her favorite song to perform was, she simply said "All of them."

I wondered what she was doing and where she was when she called me. I envisioned her stylist standing in front of her waving beautiful gowns for approval while someone was giving her a pedicure and her assistant was pointing at his watch. In reality, she was probably still in her PJ's with a cup of coffee in her other hand.

I interviewed Warwick for Fort Myers Florida Weekly. The issue is out tomorrow (1/4/12) so be sure to pick it for more of our conversation.

The concert is 8:00 Saturday, January 7th at the beautiful Sydney & Berne Davis Art Center on First St, downtown Fort Myers. Warwick will be joined on stage by her son, guitarist David Elliott. Tickets are still available ($175)

By-the-way, I did save her number. I thought I might see if she would be up for a martini after her performance.