An Evening at St. Pete's Museum of Fine Arts

Last week, I dragged my sweet (but not very arty) husband downtown to check out the Museum of Fine Arts in St. Pete. Browsing the galleries was an item on my winter/spring bucket list and every Thursday the museum offers discounted evening admission: $5 after 5 p.m. Win-win! Two of the current exhibitions were of particular interest to me: "Monet to Matisse: On the French Coast" and "Life's a Beach: Photographs by Martin Parr." Though they both share a coastal theme, these shows are very different in tone, style and medium. And yet, the museum stacks them on top of each other, so to speak. Whether you like it or not, you have to go through "Monet to Matisse" to get to "Life's a Beach." Not that I minded, but I did think it an odd choice. Nevertheless, G and I enjoyed both galleries. 

Walking through "Monet to Matisse," we and our fellow museum patrons were quiet, respectful, reflective. The works on display are imbued with a feeling of serene calm, and were painted by some of the greats: Claude Monet and Henri Matisse, of course, as well as Pablo Picasso and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The exhibition explores and compares, for the first time, Impressionist and Modernist visions of the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts of France. Some of the works are detailed and realistic, while others are foggy memories and quick first impressions of a time and place. Unsurprisingly, my favorite piece was one by Monet, of a cottage set on a cliff. I adore the dappled pastel colors and the way the sea seems to be shimmering in the distance.

My favorite artistic medium is photography, so I was excited to see "Life's a Beach," especially based on the photo used to market the exhibition (above). But that didn't fully reveal the strange, humorous and fantastic images British photog Martin Parr captured with his lens. The mood of the show was a total surprise to me—attendees were openly laughing and making fun of the scenes and subjects depicted—and while it was not at all what I expected, it was a delightful little journey just the same, showcasing beachgoers across the globe, in their complete unfettered and often unflattering glory. The colorful photographs, literally and figuratively, proved Parr's words true: “You can learn a lot about a country by looking at its beaches: across cultures, the beach is that rare public space in which all absurdities and quirky national behaviors can be found.”

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take photos inside the temporary exhibitions but I could snap away inside the museum's permanent collection. We didn't have much time to explore those galleries, as we had an impromptu birthday dinner to attend, but we ran through a few rooms of what I would describe as modern and contemporary art—which is right up my alley. If you're an art lover like me, you can check out some of my favorite pieces, after the jump...

Weekend Recap : Arts & Eats in St. Pete

What a fun weekend it was! Perhaps a little too fun, since I feel like I'm in recovery mode over here, making for a not very productive Monday. (Though, to my credit, I have managed to do a few interviews for another freelance story assignment my former editor sent me; yay!) If I had to sum up our weekend in three words it would be these: arts, eats and drinks. We only have six weeks left here in St. Petersburg and I am determined to make the most of our time and cross off items on my Florida bucket list (which I've added a few more must-dos to). 

To that end, on Thursday night we went to downtown St. Pete to check out the Museum of Fine Arts, which offers discounted admission on Thursday nights: $5 after 5 p.m. We browsed two of the current exhibitions—"Monet to Matisse" and "Life's A Beach"—and quickly explored some of the museum's permanent collection before running off to meet friends at Red Mesa Cantina for a birthday dinner. On Friday, the hubs and I had a little date night, starting with drinks at The Canopy, The Birchwood's gorgeous rooftop lounge (which I previously wrote about here and here), and then dinner and dessert at Annata, the tapas-style wine bar where Jen and I had a fabulous girls' night back in February. I knew G would love it as much as we did and Annata didn't disappoint; it was just as delicious as last time. On Saturday, we laid low, cleaned the house, and the hubby slow-cooked a pork shoulder for hours to make us Hawaiian-inspired teriyaki pulled pork tacos for dinner. 

Yesterday, Sunday, we ventured back to downtown St. Pete for the annual Mainsail Arts Festival in Vinoy Park (a few snapshots, above). Unfortunately, the heat and humidity were a bit too much to bear, coupled with a strong gusty wind that kept blowing my dress, shawl and hair this way and that. (I wore the complete wrong outfit for the occasion. Don't you hate when that happens?) So we didn't stick around long and instead sought refuge and cool drinks along Beach Drive. First a late lunch at 400 Beach, followed by leisurely drinks (again) at The Canopy and then a little champagne (for me) and oysters at the Sundial's newest upscale eatery, Sea Salt. 

Now you know why I'm feeling a little sluggish this Monday. But, I have to say, it was all worth it.

I'll be back with more on our visits to the Museum of Fine Arts, Annata and Sea Salt, later!

Weekend Recap : Localtopia 2015

[ A great crowd came out for the second annual Localtopia. ]

On Saturday, G and I ventured to Williams Park in downtown St. Pete to celebrate all things local—to eat, drink, shop and listen to—at the 2nd annual Localtopia. It was a beautiful, 70-degree, blue sky day. The Florida sun was shining and the community was out en masse to support small, independent businesses and local makers of all kinds. The park was packed, and while at times it was a bit difficult to maneuver around all the attendees, plus their strollers and dogs, and the lines for the ATM and (massive!) draft beer truck rivaled Disneyland at times, it was wonderful to see hundreds of people come together under the banner of Keep Saint Petersburg Local. The festival showcased more than 100 vendors, many of which we were first introduced to at this Localicious event last October. After surviving the long lines to get cash, beer and food, the hubby and I had a fantastic time browsing the expansive marketplace—and we even picked up a few goodies along the way! 

Here's a few photos from our afternoon, if you'd like to see...

Sips & Nibbles : Girls' Night at Annata

With the weekend upon us, I'm throwing it back to last Friday night with my lovely friend Jen of Letters & Pearls. My Coastie hubby had duty and Jen's Marine man was away on a work trip... in Qatar! So, what else to do but get together, drink wine and have a chat fest? When the men are away, the girls will play.

Since for our last girls' night I crossed the bridge to hang in Tampa, Jen came my way and we went to downtown St. Pete to check out new-to-me wine bar, Annata. Located on the bustling Beach Drive corridor, G and I have walked by the place several times since it opened in August but somehow we always missed it. Perhaps due to the tapas-style eatery's unassuming exterior and the fact that it is tucked right next to a tea shop. But I definitely took notice when it popped up on the Tampa Bay Times' Top 50 Restaurants of Tampa Bay and made a note to make a visit, stat. (Read the full Times review.)

While Annata would be perfect for a romantic date night, or pre-dinner date drinks, I'm glad I experienced it on a friend date first. Jen and I took our time choosing our wine and small plates and lingered over each succulent dish. And, lets be real, girls are just better at sharing! No rush to eat before your man devours every last bite. (But maybe that's just me and my hubs?)

We started with wine. I ordered a glass of Trebbiano, a white wine that our server likened to a Sauvignon Blanc, though I didn't think it had quite the same citrus zing as other Sauv Blancs I've tried. But it was refreshing and mellow and so good I ordered a second glass, and that's all that really matters. Jen opted for red, ordering a glass of Montepulciano, which I just love to say with flourish, in my very best-worst Italian accent.

Then it was time for food. The menu was full of tantalizing options so making our choices was slow... but deliberate. Charcuterie and crostini were a must. For our meat and cheese platter, we chose the "Ewephoria," a sheep milk gouda from Holland, a San Francisco soppressata and, as recommended by our server, the culatello prosciutto from Astoria New York. Our picks came gorgeously assembled on a wooden board, surrounded by all sorts of accoutrements: olives, pickles, nuts, dried fruit, honey and mustard. It was a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. The crostini trio (which is really a foursome) was also delicious; we had two traditional tomato bruschetta, as well as one crostini topped with roasted eggplant and another piled high with an olive tapenade.

Feeling it necessary to try one of Annata's small plates, we tapped the knowledge of our server to help us make our decision. Torn between the shrimp skewer, the lamb ragu and the chicken piccata meatballs, our server settled our debate without hesitation: Get the lamb ragu. I'm glad we did as it didn't disappoint. Like a bolognese but better, Annata tosses perfectly al dente ribbons of pappardelle with a savory lamb ragu that is then topped with dollops of creamy chèvre and baby basil leaves. (Is your mouth watering yet?)

Finally, I always have room for dessert, so Jen and I splurged and ordered the Orange Torta, served with scoop of caramel salted gelato and drizzled with a light key lime sauce. Jen and I agreed that the cookie-like dessert had an odd but delicious flavor. Citrus-y but cinnamon-y. Unique, in a good way. We ate every last bite.

We left happy and full, and looking forward to a return visit—with our husbands in tow.

Weekend Recap : Saturday Morning Market

This weekend the hubs and I were pretty productive in terms of crossing items off my list of fun to-do's, also known as my fall bucket list. We finally visited The Chihuly Collection (but more on that later). And we picked up the ingredients necessary to make a simple apple tart, though Sunday ended up being dedicated to football, of course, and barbecue: We turned our leftover Thanksgiving cranberry sauce into a BBQ glaze (loosely following this recipe) and slow-cooked a pork shoulder for eight hours to make pulled pork sliders. So, the tart didn't get made—yet.

But we did make it out to St. Pete's Saturday Morning Market. It took some time and patience to get there—turns out there were a lot of other events happening in downtown St. Petersburg this past Saturday, including a boat show, the annual Santa Parade and Snowfest—but we eventually made our way through the congested city streets and parked with still plenty of time to browse the weekly market.

Today is all gray skies and sprinkles, but Saturday was a gorgeous, sunny fall day; a perfect day to walk around the outdoor bazaar filled with farm-fresh produce, ready-to-eat and take-home treats, handmade artisan goods and wares, and much more. We picked up some gourmet dry pasta (rosemary garlic linguine), homemade dog treats, and dried herb seasonings that make delicious olive oil dips and rubs for meat. G ordered up some pad thai for lunch and, just before we left, we both got a fruit smoothie to cool down (pineapple-mango for me). 

Though we didn't buy any that day, I loved looking at all the beautiful produce. We look forward to going back in a week or two and doing some grocery shopping. Nothing better than fresh-picked fruits and veggies, don't you agree?

Here's a look at our trip around the market...

Livin' Local in St. Pete

When I found out that Keep St. Petersburg Local, a nonprofit advocate for small, independent businesses, was hosting its first-ever Localicious week dedicated to eating and drinking local, I knew I wanted to participate. From Oct. 12-19, Localicious featured tons of fun events around St. Pete highlighting locally-made food and drink, as well as restaurants, brewers, growers, markets and makers. My hubby and I ended up setting aside Saturday afternoon to explore LOCAL BUDS: An OctoBEER Farmer's Market at Green Bench Brewing Co. in downtown St. Pete. More than 20 local businesses were vending at the farmer's market, and in addition to their standard wares each featured a "beer-centric" collaboration with Green Bench. Think beer-infused soaps, candles, wearables and edibles.

GT and I had a blast wandering through the market, browsing the booths, Green Bench brews in hand (in the cutest commemorative glasses). I loved seeing the work of indie makers, and even mingling for a few minutes with the creatives behind the brands. And we definitely supported small business on Saturday, leaving with several kraft paper shop bags in our hands. After we had our fill of the OctoBEER market, we walked a few blocks to fill up our tummies at another local institution: Engine No. 9. The popular burger joint is cozy (read: small) but we lucked out and scored a table right away-- right before the evening rush. A crowd waited outside while we ate our juicy burgers (the Border Line for me, the XXX Burger for the hubs), considered by many to be the best in Tampa Bay. 

This livin' local thing? Not too bad. Not bad at all.

Check out the local, handmade goodies we found (and bought) at the farmer's market...

Recent Eats : Cassis & Rococo Steak

The husband and I love to cook but-- surprise, surprise-- we also love to eat. One of our favorite pastimes is exploring new restaurants and local eateries, and St. Pete hasn't failed us so far. Well, we did have some less-than-stellar sushi at Vue 19 (it was so bad we didn't finish our rolls, which was a first) but that sushi and martini bar closed soon after our visit. The pitfalls of being new in town. Sometimes you get a miss. But overall, our dining choices have been hits.

Two recent successes in our adventures in eating were at Cassis American Brasserie and Rococo Steak.

[ The view from our table at Cassis. ]

We've passed by Cassis several times while walking downtown on Beach Drive, and every time the restaurant is busy and bustling and I remark to GT, "We need to go here sometime!" That time came last week, after taking the pups to the dog beach at Fort De Soto Park. We humans were in need of some sustenance (and a cocktail) and since my culinary curiously had previously compelled me to look up the menu online I knew Cassis had a wonderful lunch menu and a bevy of adult beverages from which to choose.

[ The sandy beach dogs got plenty of water, treats and attention at Cassis. ]

GT had his favorite drink, a G&T (that's gin and tonic, in case you aren't familiar). While I'm not a big gin fan, I do like sweet, fruity cocktails, so I decided to shake things up and order The Bramble: a combination of gin, creme de cassis and lemon juice, garnished with a lemon twist and fresh blackberry. I find gin's trademark piney taste a bit hard to swallow but the black currant liqueur cut right through. It was delightful.

[ The Bramble. ]

For our late lunch, we started with a plate of Spicy Homemade Guacamole (upon recommendation by our server) with flat bread triangles for dipping. The guacamole was supremely good and fresh and tasted slightly like peas (but in the best way). The only problem is that we were almost two full for our main course!

[ Spicy Homemade Guacamole with Artisanal Flat Bread. ]

Luckily, we had ordered salads. The Butter Lettuce (with applewood-smoked bacon, roasted corn, aged gouda and sun-dried tomato dressing) for the hubs and Warm Lentil and Sopressata (with a heaping portion of baby arugula, fennel, lemon vinaigrette and parmesan cheese) for me.

[ Butter Lettuce salad. ] 

[ Warm Lentil and Sopressata salad. ]

I'd love to come back for brunch or dinner, or even just to have another Bramble and people watch on a busy weekend evening.

[ Rococo Steak. ]

Our trip to Rococo Steak was in celebration of GT's 30th birthday. When asked his dining preference on his special day, he said he'd prefer a steakhouse and I was dedicated to delivering whatever the birthday boy wanted. I googled "best restaurants in St. Pete," checked out the steakhouses that popped up on this list and Rococo seemed like a surefire winner (especially when I saw GT's fave on the menu: lobster bisque). 

[ Cheesin' in our booth while enjoying pre-dinner cocktails. ]

Far from the traditional (read: stodgy) steakhouses my your dad might favor, Rococo is fine dining for the hipster crowd. Modern, artsy, intimate and, dare I say, sexy is how I'd describe the eatery, which is new on the scene and a bit off the beaten path in downtown St. Pete. Housed in a brick 1920s building (that used to be a funeral home!), Rococo offers meat-eaters their choice of grass- or corn-fed beef in varying sizes and a lineup of delectable sides (they all sound so amazing it's hard to choose!).

[ Rococo has quite a unique and impressive exterior. Definitely hard to miss! ]

[ Ruby red chandelier in Rococo's dining room. ]

[ Rococo's signs were all lit up on our way out. ]

I joked that GT is turning into his father because he ordered exactly what his old man would: a Hendrick's martini, the Dry Aged NY Strip (a whopping 14 ounces!) and truffle fries.

[ Massive NY Strip with a little bit of veggies, a boat of bernaise and a bowl of truffle fries. ]

I also didn't veer from my status quo either-- ordering fish at a steakhouse. I got the Black & Blue Halibut, except I held the "blue," the blue cheese butter. I kind of missed having a bit of sauce on my plate, but the blackened fish was moist and delicious without it, and the sweet caramelized onions helped pump up the flavor factor. I just wish I hadn't ordered the lobster bisque to start; it was creamy and dreamy but so filling!

[ Sweet Corn Lobster Bisque with Wild Mushroom and Rosemary Oil. ]

[ Black & Blue Halibut, without the blue. Caramelized sweet onions hiding underneath. ]

Nevertheless, we had to get dessert. We opted for the night's special: a berry-topped sabayon reminiscent of strawberry shortcake (without the cake). A dessert that harkens back to younger years? What could be more perfect on the hubby's 30th?

[ Berry-topped Sabayon. ]

After dessert, we walked a couple blocks to enjoy a few glasses of wine and city views from The Birchwood's rooftop lounge, The Canopy. (You may remember I posted about The Birchwood before.) Listening to live music, sipping our wine by firelight... It was a great way to end the evening and send GT into what I think will be his best decade yet. Which will include, I'm sure, many more adventures in eating.

[ Canopies at The Canopy. ] 

[ After-birthday dinner drinks. Two Pinots: Grigio for me, Noir for him. ]

Cheers! What better way to start the week than with the memory of that wine and those flames. Have you discovered any fabulous new restaurants lately?

Weekend Recap : Stein Time at Oktoberfest

On Saturday evening, the hubs and I ventured across the Howard Frankland Bridge to attend Oktoberfest Tampa at beautiful Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, which is set along the Hillsborough river in downtown. 

The 5th annual event is the largest Oktoberfest celebration in Tampa, though it wasn't as large or crowded as I anticipated. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and GT and I had a great time. Since he had duty Friday and Sunday, it was nice to just spend time together, chat, watch silly beer games, listen to live music, and drink lots of bier, of course. My hubby had two steins (that's 2 liters!) of Oktoberfest, naturally, while I, being not much of a beer drinker, had a half-liter of Hefeweizen before switching to a German Riesling. What can I say? I'm a wine girl.

But perhaps my favorite part of the event was taking in the gorgeous sunset and city views. Wow. The clouds do some incredible things here in Florida. And the University of Tampa campus (across the river from the park) is simply stunning.

My other fave moment from the night? Playing corn hole and beating my husband by a landslide!

Since GT wasn't thrilled by the idea of an $8 bratwurst, we bid Oktoberfest auf wiedersehen (yep, I'm busting out that German I learned in high school and college) and walked across the street to a wine and beer bar called Taps for a very late dinner. Fueled by booze, we made somewhat unwise dining decisions and shared completely unhealthy but totally delicious and quintessential bar food: hot pretzel with spicy mustard and beer queso nachos with salsa fresca and chicken. 

I'd love to return sometime since the lounge-y restaurant had a great vibe and the rest of the menu looked equally tasty (and not as artery clogging).

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too! And since today is Columbus Day, it may be a three-day weekend for some of you. GT has the day off (he actually has most of the week off; it's his birthday week!) so we may go explore some more... I'll end with a shot of the almost-birthday boy acting a fool for my photographic benefit:

I told him to run through the fountain outside the park and I'd take a photo. This is what he did :) He may be on the verge of 30, but he's still a kid at heart.