Gateway to India - Sarasota, FL

My family and I recently drove over to Sarasota to do some shopping, and after we were done we stopped over on Hillview Street to find a place to have a small pick-me-up. Hillview Street in Sarasota has a number of restaurants, and there are a number of places left there for us to try. On this particular evening, we stepped into Gateway to India. I have to say the restaurant was real beautiful inside and themes of India dominated. There was the Hindu god Ganesh that is inside the beginning of the restaurant along with brightly painted walls and artfully arranged cloth drapery throughout. We were promptly given a table along with the menus.

For drinks, we decided to go with a beer from India, Kingfisher beer, a nice lager that goes just perfectly with spicy food. For appetizers, there was a large selection of vegetarian options. For our vegetarian appetizer choices we ordered the Vegetable Pakoras and the Samosas which were filled with potatoes and peas. For a non-vegetarian appetizer, we chose the Chicken Tikka. After what seemed like a short wait, our appetizers arrived. The food was attractively arranged and the vegetable appetizers came with a tamarind chutney a mint chutney for dipping. The samosas and the pakoras were quite delicious and the chutneys that came with them were both good, but the mint chutney was our favorite and quite irresistible. My son and I enjoyed the Chicken Tikka, but I would have maybe liked it a little bit spicier, but levels of spiciness are always rather a matter of personal preference. While we went for just appetizers, it ended up being quite filling and we left very satisfied. This is definitely a place I would stop in next time to try the full meal experience.

Gateway to India
1960 Hillview Street
Sarasota, FL 34239
941-364-4777

Whistle Stop Grill and Bar - Safety Harbor, FL

Through various singers that I know, I heard the Whistle Stop Grill has live music on different nights, which is always a bonus to me. After checking out their website, we headed over on a Tuesday night to hear the Tampa Bay Fingerstyle Guitar Guild play some music. Upon arrival, we found ample free parking spots in the street to park. The small parking lot was already full, which I always feel is a good sign. The front of the restaurant faces Main Street and you can walk up to the take out window and perhaps order some ice cream. We headed around back because all of the seating is outdoors. Part of the space is covered, so if it rains you are somewhat protected from the elements. Further umbrella topped tables stretch out onto the grounds. We were quickly given a table where we could see the live music.

A server promptly took our drink orders and then we looked over the menu. For appetizers, we started with the corn fritters that came with dipping sauce. The corn fritters were delicious and I loved the sweet taste of the corn inside of the fritters along with the lightly spicy dipping sauce. For our entrees, my husband and I both went for the Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches. We had heard that the fried green tomatoes were quite the thing there, so we knew before coming that was what we wanted. I was a little disappointed that for the sides, they were out of the sweet potato fries because that was the one other item that we heard was a must try and we didn't get to try them. Predictably, my son ordered the cheeseburger with provolone cheese. The Fried Green Tomato sandwiches were served on ciabatta bread with provolone cheese and aioli. The sandwiches were a real treat and I loved every bite of them. My son's burger was good, but the fried green tomato sandwiches were a winner for me. Overall, we loved the feel of the place, and it was nice to listen to the guitar music while eating. This was a fun place and great for the whole family.

Whistle Stop Grill and Bar
915 Main Street
Safety Harbor, FL 34695
727-726-1956

Chattaway - St Petersburg, FL

One day for lunch, my son and I headed over to the famous Chattaway, which is rather a institution in St Petersburg because it has been around so long. The most famous item on its menu that I was longing to try was the Chattaburger, as it has received numerous awards in the Tampa Bay area. So with much anticipation, we were ready to eat. Arriving at the Chattaway, I parked out back. From the parking lot, I could see glimpses of table umbrellas through the thick Florida greenery. Across a little wooden bridge that was next to a Koi pond that had a cute rubber ducky display, and we were inside a lost garden. Okay, maybe not a lost garden, but it makes it seem more exciting. However it was very pretty as all of the outdoor seating was surrounded by this lush greenery, and the soft perfume of flowering shrubs were in the air.

All of the seating is outside on this patio area and there are a few seats at the bar, at regular tables, and at picnic tables with benches. There is also a lot of umbrellas that will be welcome as the weather turns hotter. However, on the day that my son and I were there, this was not a worry. We grabbed a bar table and a friendly server soon took our order. We knew what we wanted, so it was quick and painless. I ordered the Chattaburger with just ketchup and pickles. For my son, it was the Chattaburger with American cheese. After a short wait, our meals arrived in baskets with burgers and french fries. I love baskets. This was a very delicious, juicy burger. As I have mentioned in a couple of other posts, I am looking for the "perfect burger," and this is definitely at the top of the list. Number one, yet? I don't know because I haven't tried everywhere yet. This was a nice size burger, but we decided to try dessert. When you are there, they just have you look in the case to see what they have. I chose the peach and berry pie with ice cream. Again very yummy, and the pie crust was especially good. I can't tell you how many times I have had pie with a good filling but a bad crust. This one was excellent.

After we were done eating, all that was left was to pay the bill. Just a little bit of information you need to know when dining at the Chattaway is that they only accept cash, so come prepared. This is definitely a winner in St Pete and a very quaint and relaxing spot to go and escape from it all.

Chattaway
358 22nd Avenue South
St Petersburg, FL 33705
727-823-1594

Old Farmer's Creamery - St Petersburg, FL

In need of an ice cream fix, my son and I headed over to Old Farmer's Creamery in St Petersburg. It is not hard to miss, if you drive on 4th street, just north of downtown. It is not hard to miss because it is this big red building meant to bring to mind a barn. The fence in the parking lot out back continues the farm theme as it is painted white and black like a cow. Head inside to see where the real fun starts along with the continued farm them.

Inside, one will find multiple cases of ice cream and the hardest part for some might be what flavor to chose. I heard they make their own ice cream and I asked to make sure. The reply was they make their own ice cream, but at a separate facility, as there is not enough space at the shop. I was happy to hear they make their own ice cream rather than mass produced ice cream that one can already buy in the grocery store. After a look through the ice cream cases, one of which was devoted to various chocolate flavors, we made our choices.

I have to confess, we did not go out on a limb when we made our choices. I already knew whatever my son chose would involve chocolate. Predictably, he chose one scoop of chocolate and one scoop of vanilla. For myself, I am a solid lover of vanilla ice cream, so I chose one scoop of classic vanilla ice cream and one scoop of pecan praline ice cream. On top of that I added hot fudge and whip cream. Sounds like a sundae to me, except I chose not to add the nuts and cherry to make it an official sundae. The ice cream was pure decadence and delicious and we both loved it. One of the things that impressed me most about the pecan praline was that it had a nice crunch. Sometimes I buy it from other places and it has kind of lost its crunch. Happily, this was not the case at Old Farmer's Creamery.

I could go on about Old Farmer's Creamery and their ice cream forever, ice cream lover that I am, but I won't. I say go try the ice cream and let it speak for itself. Enjoy local ice cream here in St Petersburg!

Old Farmer's Creamery
2531 4th Street North
St Petersburg, FL 33704
727-896-2827

Nitally's Thai-Mex Cuisine - St Petersburg, FL

Wow, this place is yet another jewel in the Grand Central District! My family and I have heard a number of great things about Nitally's from friends and acquaintances, and we just had to give it a try one evening. Plus, it sounded interesting to hear about Thai-Mex fusion food. From the outside, the restaurant is rather inconspicuous, but step inside and all of that changes. The walls are painted in soft pastels and asian art adorns the walls. We particularly enjoyed a framed art pieced that had two scorpions inside. Oh, and I must not forget the budha statues. That tables were also covered in soft pastel colored cloths and the benches had cushions for comfort. A big chalkboard adorned the back wall with a extensive list of hot and cold drinks along with some specials. Overall, they environment was peaceful and it just made you want to relax, get comfy, and stay awhile.

We were met with a cheerful smile upon entering, even though we arrived about a half an hour before closing time. We got to pick our own table and our server took our drink order and gave us a little time to look over the menu. My husband, the vegetarian, was happy to see that a lot of dishes could be made vegetarian or vegan, upon request. We started with the spring rolls. They were delicious and came with a nice sweet and spicy dipping sauce. For our entrees, we ordered the Yellow Curry Rice, the Garlic Shrimp, and Pad Prik Khing. We ordered the Yellow Curry Rice with vegetables, and it was mouthwatering, spicy, and flavorful. Full of tasty green onion, brocoli, carrots, and a bit of garlic and loved by us meat eaters, also. The Garlic Shrimp was just as wonderful as the dish before it. There was plenty of shrimp for my son and I to share along with carrots and cilantro on top to enhance the flavor. The dish came with white rice that was great for mixing with the garlicky sauce. The final dish I want to mention is the Pad Prik Khing. This was one of the dishes that we requested to be vegetarian and the cook was able to make it that way. Also, we added tofu to it. The tofu soaked up all that good red curry flavor and we enjoyed the green beans in the dish. This dish also included white rice.

This is really a wonderful place and the spicy and fresh flavors were just the thing to tempt our taste buds. The only regret I have is that there were so many things I wanted to try, and it was so hard to choose when ordering. Next time I go, I would like to try some of the fusion dishes listed on the menu. Perhaps the Panang Burrito. The service was very friendly and prompt. My family and I look forward to working our way down the menu.

Nitally's Thai-Mex Cuisine

2462 Central Avenue

St Petersburg, FL 33712

727-321-8424

Dairy Inn - St Petersburg, FL

Dairy Inn is another one of my local favorites for soft serve ice cream and burgers. It is rather funny that it is a favorite of mine now because I drove by it for like five years without ever stopping in to try it. I just thought it was an attempt to be a knock-off of that other national chain. How wrong I was! They are steps above those other guys. Per Dairy Inn's website, they are the oldest ice cream parlor in St Petersburg and have been around since 1947.

My family and I like to stop in for the soft serve cones. I usually like the vanilla soft serve cone, or sometimes I like to have it dipped in chocolate. My son typically gets the soft serve twist. They also have a rotation of different soft serve ice creams and on my last trip there I enjoyed the Dulce de Leche soft serve. I just might need to make it back again before that goes off the rotation. I am not really sure how often they change those flavors, so I better make it quick.

Dairy Inn's burger is a big contender in my search for the elusive, but "perfect burger." These are nice sized burgers that come wrapped in paper and they are one of my favorites. They are juicy, messy, and probably not part of a health conscious diet. However, when you take a bite, all of that seems to float out of your mind. Again, this burger is a serious contender for best burger. In fact, it has won numerous awards in the bay area for best burger.

So, moral of the story, don't judge a book by its cover. Nor, a ice cream parlor by its looks. Line up at the window, place your order, and enjoy! Don't forget they serve breakfast, too. Seating is outside tables only.

Dairy Inn
1201 Martin Luther King Junior St N
St Petersburg, FL
727-822-6971

Rollin' Oats Market and Cafe - St Petersburg, FL

I love to support local businesses and one of my favorites is the Rollin Oats Market and Cafe. They have two locations with one in Tampa and one in St Petersburg. The St Petersburg location is the one I frequently use and it is conveniently close to downtown. They offer organic foods, whole foods, nutritional products, and a host of other items along with a cafe in the back.

There are a number of things I like to get there. I like to bottle my water there or grind my own peanut butter. They have a beautiful fruit and vegetable isle. I like to get bulk items from the bins, such as: granola, nuts, dried fruits, rice, flour, etc. They really have a large selection of bulk items. Oh, and check out their spice rack where you can weigh and buy bulk spices. This way one can buy the spices they need and not worry about them losing their flavor after staying in the cupboards for years. And the cheese section, oh my! They really have a large selection of local and international cheeses and this is my FAVORITE place to get cheese because of the variety and reasonable prices. Right next to the cheese, there is a large selection of single bottles of beer from the US and international brews. That is great for trying new beers, when you are not sure that you want to buy a whole six pack.

The last spot I want to mention is the cafe/deli in back. Their is a case filled with different entrees to take for dining at home. Or perhaps you need a quick lunch, you can order a sandwich or something at the counter. I usually like to stop and get some of the baked goods. One of my favorites is the lemon bars, which go great with an afternoon cup of coffee. My son is partial to the chocolate-chocolate chip muffin.

I feel like there is so much more I could say about Rollin Oats, but it is probably best to go out and see it for yourself. And, pssst..........they are way better than that "other" national chain. Shop local, yay!

Rollin' Oats Market and Cafe
2842 9th Street North
St Petersburg, FL 33704
727-821-6825