Off to Florida

 I'm leavin' on a jet plane tomorrow for Tampa/Clearwater, Florida, for a few days to visit my friend Donna. We're planning four solid days of good music on the beach at the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, something we've done nearly every year for quite a few - nearly 20 years I think.

This year we'll see Chicago (remember them?), Jane Monheit, Larry Carlton, Average White Band, Tower of Power (Oakland's own!), Brandi Carlile - it's going to be fabulous!

We always have a wonderful relaxing time and lots of fun. It's warm and tropical in Florida this time of year - not too hot like it is in the middle of summer. It's our habit to eat grouper sandwiches or a grouper salad at least once, and the drink of choice is a Cuba Libre (Mt. Gay rum and diet coke with a squeeze of lime - yum).

I'm excited to see Donna again! Isn't it good to have a girls' weekend once in awhile? I think so - gives you a break from regular life and makes you appreciate what you have even more when you get back. Yeah. Buon viaggio to me!!

Eating and drinking in Clearwater FL

So much has happened, it seems ages since I was in Clearwater, Florida, lazing around in the sun and soaking up fabulous music. It's really only been two weeks. Nevertheless, while the taste of all the good food Donna and I ate still lingers, I'd better tell you about it.

We decided to eat late lunch/early dinner out each day before going to the Clearwater Jazz Holiday, which started mid-afternoon most days. This way we would only eat two meals (breakfast and late lunch) and we wouldn't be starving enough to have to eat at the park. What a great decision! I think I actually lost a pound or two this time.

Of course we had to hit Frenchy's Rockaway Grill, right on Clearwater Beach, first. We always go to Frenchy's when I'm in Clearwater for grouper, a delicious fish that's not available in California. Here's a photo from our outdoor table on the patio at Frenchy's:

Sure enough, I ordered grouper, but this time I had Walnut Encrusted Grouper Salad instead of a grouper sandwich. Yum! It had arugula and cranberries and pears and spinach, and a great big filet of grilled grouper on top. Fabulous.

Pair that with a couple of Cuba Libres (Mt. Gay rum and Diet Coke with lime) and you've got a little slice of beach heaven.

The next day we dined at Rumba Island Bar and Grill, which was on the way to the park. Yum again! This time I had to deviate from fish, because they had Caribbean Pulled Pork and I just had to! Plus I had a side of Jamaican Greens and one of Island Cole Slaw - wow, my mouth was happy. Prices are really good here, too!

Another Cuba Libre went really well with all that island food. And you know me, I'm a red wine girl. Apparently not when I'm in Florida!

The third and last day of late lunches (boo-hoo), we hit the Bonefish Grill in nearby luxurious Belleair Bluffs. Back to the fish, as this is the home of fabulous Bang Bang Shrimp - crispy fried shrimp with a hot little mayo/chili sauce dip that was to die for. What a pleasure!

At the Bonefish Grill, Donna convinced me to try a favorite cocktail of hers, Winter White Cosmo. It was delicious, and I think it would be a good drink, whether celebratory or consolatory, for today, which is ELECTION DAY! Don't forget to vote today!!

Here's the recipe for Winter White Cosmo so you can at least celebrate fabulous YOU:

• Shake 1 1/2 oz Stoli Cranberi Vodka, 1/2 oz Cointreau, 1 oz lime juice, and 2 oz white cranberry juice with ice in a shaker.
• Strain into a chilled martini glass.
• Garnish with a lime or with 2 fresh cranberries.

Enjoy!!

Warm days and awesome music!

Clearwater Jazz Holiday 2012 was awesome! As my girlfriend Donna said, the weather had "cooled down" to the 80s, and it was beautiful - not too hot, not too humid. Good thing, because all the music was in a park on the water and it was terrific! Here's the view at sunset from our seats in front of the stage:

 My favorite acts were: Jazz saxophonist and Tampa Bay Area native Mindi Abair & Friends, which included  Jeff Golub and David Pack from the 1970s-80s group Ambrosia. Wow, they were fabulous!
The Avett Brothers, not jazz at all, but a kind of alt-indie-rock group from North Carolina that had the whole place jumping. So much fun!
I also loved Esperanza Spalding and saxophonist Tia Fuller, both of whom perform more straight-ahead jazz and are beautiful talented young women. Whew!

(I missed Bonnie Raitt, darn it, because I arrived in Tampa too late. I think she would have been one of my favorites too - Donna said she was wonderful.)

Of course, very dear to my heart was the food! When I'm in Florida, I feel like I should eat fish, preferably fish I can't get on the West Coast. More to come soon on where we ate Grouper Salad and Bang Bang Shrimp. Yum!!

On the road again to Clearwater FL

Tomorrow I'm leavin' on a jet plane for Clearwater, Florida (right next to Tampa) to spend a few days with my friend Donna and listen to hot music at The Clearwater Jazz Holiday. Bonnie Raitt, Mindi Abair...wow, it's going to be fun - and HOT (Donna says FL has "cooled down" to the 80s).

The Tampa Bay area, which includes Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Petersburg, is such a beautiful place. I can't wait to share photos with you while I'm there. Stand by for more!