set the way back machine....

The last time I was at the Seafood Shack on the Inter-Coastal Waterway in Cortez Village was some time when my dad was still alive and still going out for lunch.  He died in September of 2001.  So let's just posit that I haven't been there in say- 15 years.  Last year when Tide Tables opened I got to talking with someone about the decline of the place and was told that it had recently been sold and the new owners were looking to bring it up in the world of dockside dining in Cortez.  The location is fabulous: right at the landside end of the Cortez Bridge to Anna Maria Island (AMI) with wonderful water and sunset views (especially from the upstairs "finer dining" part of the place).  So we had decided to give it a try-

Let me digress- we had also earlier in the week decided to give the Cortez Clam Factory a try too - which had been recommended by some folks we met at the Blues Festival last weekend.  I have no photos- which is kind of a shame because the place was a dive dive dive bar - with smokers and gambling machines LOL- I didn't even know indoor smoking was allowed in Florida... and last weekend when we had dinner at the SOB Bar & Grill the smokers had to go outside- but here they all sat puffing away (and all I could think about were the last 18 months of my sisters life as she died from lung cancer- which put me off the place right away.)

The ribs, which were smoked right outside, were pretty good and the service (one guy handling the sizable inside business) was impeccable- friendly and helpful.  But it was definitely my first and last visit there. I don't need to be reminded of my sister's months on a ventilator or her hair falling out or any of the other torture she underwent when the medical/industrial complex failed to give her the realistic picture of surviving Stage IV lung cancer that had metastasized to her brain...  I am really willing to skip that, along with the right wingers loudly arguing about (believe it or not in a public venue) the "negroid president" - I kid you not, this place was an unbelievable step into the world of hate that drives the right-wingers today and one I will not be repeating.

But back to my review of today's choice: we have been trying to check out some new places this winter - and some will be winners and some losers and some in between. Today's place was on its way to being a winner.  They are undertaking a big renovation and the upstairs "fancy" restaurant is closed until February but the downstairs grill and bar are open even during the remodeling. The server was excellent and very helpful in selecting things that they make on the premises.   The food was served fresh and hot.  While we did not stretch the limits of seafood shack type food - everything we had was good. Phil had the grouper sandwich and I had the blackened grouper tacos.  My tacos were at least twice as good as the ones I had the other night at the Sand Bar (when the grill failed at our house and we had to go out last minute and found the Sign of the Mermaid closed and AMOB having a private party.)

So the review is GIVE IT A TRY- they are excited about their new patio (to be completed this weekend) and very very nice as well as having good bar food style seafood...

in reverse order

I am soooo far behind on the blog posts- I do apologize and assure you I will get back to China- but before that I will do the UL Lafayette course we took the first week of December on Cajun history and culture... and even before that a post or two on the second week of December which we spent with our friend Lynn visiting.

She was going to drive down with me (and the cats) in November but conflicts in schedule proved providential in that she arrived here for a week of glorious weather here and horrid weather back in Chicago...

So I met her two hour delayed flight and we walked out into late afternoon sunshine and warm temperatures- rough life- LOL... we headed home- got her settled in and popped some champagne while deciding about where to go for dinner.  It had to be someplace we could eat outside so we picked the porch at The Waterfront.

the next day we went down memory lane (for me) and headed to the Sarasota jungle Gardens (which I actually have no memory of but do have photos of me squinting into the sun, at about age nine or so, with a giant bird on my arm from there and I know when we were kids we would visit there pretty much every time we were down here on AMI (Anna Maria Island)...

so we saw the cheesy but cute bird show and some reptiles and a few flamingos and called it for what it was "old time tourist attraction" of the style TB and I run into all the time on the DART (disappearing America road trip) adventures...

a few photos? I know you are dying to see the place- LOL

Below is Frosty - a long time celebrity who is now 77 years old! He performed his unicycle act on Ed Sullivan waaaay back in the late 60's - got love the old guy- still plugging away at it... he was seriously cute and charming!

a closer shot of Frosty

the map of the gardens- which were more jungle than garden- LOL

some of the non-performing birds hanging out (you can have your photo taken with them for a fee...)

one of a few reptiles they had on display - a few baby alligators - LOL... slim pickings

by the time we got to the Flamingo area the over head sun washed out the pink so you can see their beautiful color much better in reflection than in the direct light-

we met Phil for lunch at Landside so we could eat on the deck outside-

the next day we reserved the tour of the house and private spaces at the Ringling mansion- that will be a separate post as I have lots of good camera based photos (versus cell phone ones) but meanwhile- we also made time to get to the beach and do some shelling- and to stop at the salvage yard (better known as the Sea Hagg) to peruse the junk on offer there!

the water at the beach was still warm so we took off our shoes and rolled up our pant legs to go wading in the crystal clear water-

 

at the beach we saw a pod of six or seven dolphins swimming by following a huge school of fish and of course the terns (black skimmers) were close at hand! so many fish so little time! LOL

We ate outside on the porch at Linger Lodge and our favorite sandwich place (Casa de Pizza- LOL) and got stone crab at Moore's and before you knew it the week was over! boo hoo!  So I took Lynn back to the airport and sent her on her way to the cold white north- it had just snowed the night before in Chicago and was hovering in the teens.  I drove back home in the sunshine... I know- it is mean but sometimes I can't help but gloat.... the morning at the beach was just perfect- the jumping dolphins the warm water and sunshine on the white sand made the blue sky seem even bluer!

stay warm! the next post will be Ringling and then we will head back in time to the Cajun week....