An Evening at Beak’s Old Florida

I like to think of retirement as a never ending vacation. I’ve been on vacation here in Florida now for coming up on two years. And what do we do on vacation? (Or at least what I do on vacation) Go out for food, drink, and good times, in places that are new to us. In that vein, I tried a place new to me the other night, Beak’s Old Florida.

Link to St. Pete Times article

The mood is set quickly when you arrive….a bowl of bar snacks awaits, consisting of  of popcorn, m&ms, and wasabi spiced snack mix. All together. In the same bowl.  Works for me: I’ve always been a fan of sweet and salty mixed together.  The bar stools are large, leather, and comfortable.  Why don’t all business establishments realize that a proper stool for cocktails and dining includes a back and some padding?  The decor is, well, eclectic.  But good ecletic.  Vintage photos and illustrations of old Florida, pin-up girls, and parrots.  A huge, lighted pink flamingo (this is Florida after all) shares space at the bar with the patrons. 

The bar itself is has lots of seating capacity, flowing from inside to outside, with good views from the indoor bar of the outdoor bar and vice versa.  (I like to keep an eye on things)  The small indoor portion of the bar is supplemented by a large enclosed patio which includes, in additon to the continuation of the indoor bar, dining tables and a bandstand.  And yes, there’s entertainment too, which began at a suitably early hour, just after dark, appreciated by those of us who are now hamming our way through life’s third act. 

There is a list of red wines by the glass; I chose a California Cabernet called “Big Yellow Cab,” and received a generous pour with a happy hour price of just $4.50.  The menu has interesting and good bar food, and after studying it for awhile, I settled on what was described as a wine lovers pizza.  Thin crust, with a nice blend of good cheeses, and…walnuts.  Yes, walnuts he said.  Like the snack mix, it worked, and went well with the cabernet.

I quickly felt right at home.  The owner and staff are friendly and can be joked with.  Another customer began visiting with me, it turned out we had a mutual aquaintance….Chrissy, who tends bar at O Bistro.  Then another couple came in that I knew from here in Gulfport.  They, like me, used to hang out at Cahill’s before it closed, and they updated me on the whereabouts of the old Cahill’s crowd, which has moved down the street to O’Maddys.  Guess I’ll need to make a visit.

I’m developing a pattern here.  Starting out from O Bistro, which is on Central Ave. at 67th St., I’ve now moved East to Beak’s Old Florida, which is on Central Ave. at 25th St.  Next I plan to try a new (to me) Southern cooking place, Savannah’s, which is on Central Ave. at 10th St.  Also on my list to try is BellaBrava, which is on, you guessed it, Central Ave. at 6th St.  I’ve actually been there once already, had cocktails, and planned to have dinner, but there were three women at the bar from Prague, and hey, I got distracted. 

Even in retirement, it’s good to have a plan.  I can eat my way East on Central Ave. until I reach the end at Beach Drive downtown, then turn North and eat my way up to Pepins on Fourth St. North, where Chrissy from O Bistro works one night a week.

And the days of wine and roses continue here in Florida…

Dining at Bellini’s

I tried a new restaurant the other evening, within walking distance of my home.  Here is their website. It is a Tapas restaurant, which I understand is a Spanish word describing appetizers or finger foods, accompanying, you guessed it, cocktails. 

The place is visually stunning.  You sit under a roof outside, with a choice of stools or leather sofas for larger parties, overlooking a courtyard with a waterfall cascading over stone,  tropical foilage, and black lamposts with an open gas flame for lighting.  I started with a basket of slices of baguette with a garlic and mayonnaise dip, and my first plate, rare beef tenderloin with a light red sauce and a couple of peppers in the sauce for spice.  There was a selection of slightly pricey wines by the glass, I had a decent Merlot at $9 per glass.   The tenderloin was delicious, the bread a nice complement to it. 

The waitresses were a tad disorganized, but friendly, and this worked in my favor….another party, unhappy with the pace at which things were proceeding, walked out prior to the arrival of the crab cakes they’d ordered.  The girls hit upon a solution…offer them to me, fresh and hot from the kitchen, for free.  Good things come to those who wait.

I was forced to sample an after dinner drink.  I’ve given up dessert for Lent, but regard an after dinner drink as a loophole.  The menu had a martini alleged to taste just like a chocolate covered cherry; it is my duty to investigate claims of this nature, so I ordered it.  They weren’t lying.

Waterfalls, tiki torches,  rare tenderloin, and cocktails, all outdoors on a warm Florida evening.  What’s not to like?  I’ll be back.