Sunny Beach: Food & Travel

I experienced an epiphany this past weekend...well, that and several rum punches and a couple of excellent bottles of wine, not to mention some really tasty food. I now understand why our Canadian and European neighbors travel thousands of miles to vacation on our sunny shores.

My bride and I met up with her sister and her friend for a three day weekend at the TradeWinds Island Resort at St. Petersburg Beach. My Baby and I have vacationed on beaches around the world and we both agree that the TradeWinds ranks right up there as one of the best. What made our visit even more special is we didn't have to deal with airlines, customs, and super high travel costs. We just hopped in our Cruiser and headed across the bay. In less than an hour we were in a tropical paradise that more than rivaled resorts in Jamaica and Mexico. The grounds were landscaped and our rooms were clean and modern with a relaxing Florida beach decor.

After checking in (a smooth process), finding our accommodations and dumping our bags, we located Salty's Poolside Beach Bar where we ordered up several medicinal rummy drinks to get us in an island frame of mind. Salty's provided an ideal spot to enjoy the dousing of the sun.

Once we were properly self-medicated we headed off to dinner. Our first choice, The Palm Court Italian Grill was booked solid so we made reservations instead at Bermuda's Steak and Seafood. Bermuda's is billed as casual dining, but there was nothing casual about the food.

For starters, I chose the Sautéed Blue Mussels with shaved garlic, roasted tomatoes, Spanish chorizo, and saffron wine. The dish could have used a couple more slices of garlic toast to sop up the broth, but other than that it was heavenly. For my entrée, I requested the Lamb Shank braised in a pearl onion au jus, boursin whipped potatoes, and a fresh mint gremolata. The only lamb shank that I have ever consumed that might have been better was one that I prepared at home (my apologies to the chef, but I am a pretty darn good cook). My dainty dining partner chose the 7 ounce Beef Tenderloin. This dish came with house vegetables and one additional side, but who cared? That chunk of beef was so unbelievably tender and flavorful that all other foods that night faded from mind. I am not kidding. I tried a bite and I still swoon.

The others in our party had the Seafood Cobb Salad, another delightful creation, and the New York Strip Steak. I don't remember the comments on the strip since I was still reveling in the tenderloin.

The bill for two of us came to a bit over $100, but that included the tip and a bottle of Argentine Malbec. We also enjoyed breakfast in Bermuda's the following two mornings. While dinner was spectacular, breakfast, was...well, breakfast. My dining companions were pleased, though.  

The following day, Saturday, we hit the beach after breakfast.

St. Pete beach is beautiful with clean soft sand to wiggle one's body parts in. Admittedly, the water is not near as clear as in the Caribbean but it is refreshing on a hot day.

Another plus is that the tiki bar is very close to the beach so it is a short walk to replenish your adult beverages...which are apparently illegal on the beach, but we never did see the booze patrol.

One other ever so slight negative for our foreign visitors: the beach is not clothing optional. So, if you see people looking at you in a strange manner, put your pants back on. We are prudish over here.

After beaching it for awhile we all headed for the man-made canal and a ride on the resort's paddle boats.

A fellow feathered paddler...

That evening we had reservations for dinner at the Palm Court Italian Grill. We were offered a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. If the weather is favorable, I would highly recommend sitting outdoors. This courtyard patio is beautiful and romantic.

To compliment our dinner, the Babe from Ballast Point and I shared a bottle of Tuscan Capezzara. When uncorked and poured for a taste test the wine had a distinctive corky taste. When we pointed this out to our server we got no argument and were presented with a fresh bottle of Capezzara which, happily, was perfect.

For starters we ordered the Tuscan Salad with mozzarella, salami, green beans, garbonzo beans, roasted red peppers, and artichokes. The salad was very good and would have been plenty for two to share. I opted for the Herbed Beef Tenderloin Carpaccio with shaved Parmesan, and caper berries. I so love caper berries! While the menu made no mention of it, the carpaccio did have a balsamic reduction which added to the appetizer.

For her entrée, the tulip of Tuscany requested the Penne Con Pollo, smoked chicken with pasta, sun dried tomatoes and toasted walnuts. She raved over the chicken! I didn't fare as well with the Linguini Scoglio. The seafood, shrimp, scallops, clams, mussels, and calamari were well prepared, and served over linguini pasta with pomodoro sauce, or so said the menu. There was no pomodoro sauce. This dish was served with a very weak, watery broth. This dish would have been more acceptable with either the pomodoro or a rich seafood broth. Dinner for two with wine and gratuity came to $111.35.



The ambiance of the Palm Court was superior to Bermuda's, but I would suggest that we had a much tastier dining experience at Bermuda's. But, what the heck...you are there anyway. Try both of them and see what you think.

There are a plethora of entertainment choices, both on and off property...way too many for a three day weekend. We did see the Saturday night show at Coconuts Comedy Club, but missed Gale Trippsmith's performance at Red Beard's. Oh, well! We will have to go back, but for a longer stay. Our weekend frolic at the TradeWinds was fantastic.