Back from Italia - - Bin 27 and Dog Walks

WOW...what a great trip to Italy...Florence and Rome....couldn't of asked for a better time, both cities are so beautiful, words can't describe!! History, Culture, Scenery, People, FOOD!! Molto Bene!



Happy to see the kids when I got home, I took them to a Dog Park they haven't been in a while near my house, Gadsden Park, off MacDill Ave, right next to the AFB Base in South Tampa. Very large serene park with a large lake and some paved walking/biking trails, and a HUGE fenced in Dog Park area. With only a few people there on Friday morning, they had the whole place practically to themselves, there are three separate fenced in areas with trees for shade, and picnic benches for the humans to relax.

Afterwards, met up with a buddy and went to the Real Dill for lunch, just up the road from my house off Westshore Blvd, this time it was the Cuban and Club sandwhich's and decided to eat in...again, great meal, the little place with about half dozen tables was busy this afternoon...its a great little sandwich place in the neighborhood.

For dinner, met up with another buddy at a new restaurant on Kennedy Blvd called Bin 27. Great looking building, very classy and modern interior and bar area, friendly staff(maybe overly friendly?). Reservations seemed to be a must, they were busy at this 730 time, but had tables available outside on a large deck, that had heat lamps installed throughout the ceiling, and very nice tropical landscaping, it was actually better than being inside. Tried the Edamame for appetizer and had the Grilled Pork Chop and Osso-Busco Cut Braised Beef Rib. The Edamame was good, a small plate of the soybeans with some sea salt; the Grilled Pork Chop was cooked medium rare, very moist and tender, a great tasting pomegranate sauce, and some cooked apples, and onion made for a different and tasty meal, very filling. The Beef Rib, which was explained as the most desirable dish, came out cold, the meat though was tender, and had a very rich sauce. For some reason, we had to ask for bread, when we saw it was brought out to the other tables...and the bread was a very fresh, soft roll, with chive butter, wish we would have had it sooner. Sides consisted of McDonalds type fries that had a nice spice to them, and a very small sampling of Brocolini. Dessert we tried was a Vahlorona, very very heavy chocolate truffle cake, with a dollop of vanilla ice cream...too rich we thought. The server made a mistake and brought another to our table, and if we had not thought it to be to rich, we would have gobbled the other one up as well. With an interesting menu of extremely very different types of foods, and prices that would make you think you were at one of the finest dining Establishments in the Bay area, I would expect a little more from the place...it was OK and maybe worth a try, but not sure it warrants a 'must go' again anytime soon.



Weather is warming up...temps were in the 20's at night the past few days since getting back from Italy....GASPRILLA starts today and goes through the first weekend of March...today the Childrens Parades and Pirate Battle/Fireworks over the Bay this evening...and the city is really gearing up for the SuperBowl, next weekend!!

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Lights on Tampa weekend!

Trying to get alot of work done before my trip to Italy, on Friday evening, took a little break from a few projects and walked over to meet a buddy of mine at the Green Iguana, and enjoy a Burger...this time it was the Portabella Cheese Burger..always the best, we also muched on some Hummus, Crab Rangoon and the Black and Blue Salad..crowd was nice outside on the Tiki deck, with an acoustic guitarist entertaining us.....
Saturday, took the kids to Picnic Island Beach, where there seems to be more and more dogs enjoying the huge, wide beach area made specifically for dogs...unfortunately, sometimes someone can bring a not so well-behaved dog, which was the case on Saturday morning, and as my boy went to say hello to a 95 lb pit bull, things went a little sour, and my boy was bit by the Pit twice...he is ok, im just hoping it doesn't effect him for future visits, he and his sister really love the park and beach....I just dont understand some owners, bringing dogs to a dog park, knowing they cannot handle or control their behaviors...

Tried a new biking route, from my house, took Westshore south to Picnic Island, and toured around Port Tampa City, coming up through the neighborhood along Manhattan Ave..a nice 2 hour tour.
Afterwards we went up to Sweet Tomatoes for some lunch, its a chain so I rarely write about them on here, but it was a good all you can eat salad buffet with lots and lots of fresh salad bar veges, salads, breads, pizzas, soups and pastas...
Saturday night was the opening of the three week long, Lights on Tampa. Artists from around the country display their unique creations on buildings, parking garages, all kinds of structures, and parks throughout downtown....the pre-party was at some friends who live downtown at One Laurel Place...we walked towards the convention center, great displays on the Fort Brooke Garage, along the Riverwalk from USF Park to the Convention Center were about 50 or so disco balls creating a luminating effect, some visuals along Franklin Street near the Convention Center, and a SuperBowl Mood Ring that constantly changes in the Park along the River near the Forum. We also stopped by Trolleys bar and Grille in the Embassy Suites Hotel dwontown. It was a little busy, the bartender and servers just seemed like they did not want anyone there...when asking a server for a drink, she just said "I dont make the drinks, you have to ask the bartender"..she was behind the bar, how was I to know, and why didnt she just take my order and give to the bartender. A small manager guy came out in a suit, and didnt seem too thrilled at teh crowd..and when I asked him if he was happy to see it busy, he just shrugged his shoulders...I would think that anyplace would be happy to see people eating and drinking and spending money, especially new hotels and restaurants downtown. Even though service was slow, and unfriendly, the drinks and company were great....our last stop on the walk was to Channelside, we were able to walk into the new Tampa Bay History Center which opens the 17th of January, they were having a private party, and from what we all saw(there was about a dozen of us), it looked very nice, 3 story glass windows all along the Riverwalk, some great displays, but we were only allowed to stay for a few minutes before someone realized we were not with the party(maybe it was the lack of formal attire??)....in Channelside, stopped by Cold Stone for Ice Cream, the entertainment center was VERY busy, people walking from bar to bar, and in the restaurants....instead of making the long trek back to One Laurel, we hopped on the Green Trolley for a quick ride up to the Performing Arts Center...its nice to know that if you will be out and about in downtown, they have a circulating trolley that runs every 10 minutes along the entire route from Performing Arts on the north end of downtown, along Channelside near the convention center and Forum, and up through the Channelside neighborhood of downtown...and for only a quarter.

Sunday was nice and relaxing for football playoff games, and had a great dinner with family at the Cappy's on bay to Bay...large Greek Salad and a NY Style Large Pizza with meatball and Pepperoni...always GREAT!!!

Italy here I come..be back in 10 days.
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Christmas Partytime....

Saturday was a cool, beautiful day in the Bay area, took the kids to the park/beach at Picnic Island in South Tampa, seems to be getting a bit busier, I am now seeing the same people and thier dogs each weekend, some from MacDill AFB, which is nice. The beach area is so large, I doubt it could ever get too busy.
Saturday evening was a friend of mine annual Christmas Party in Port Tampa City, s small little city neighborhood a few miles south of Gandy Blvd off Westshore Blvd, at the tip of Interbay Peninsula. It was great to see so many people I havent seen since last year, afterwards it was a late night stop at the Green Iguana Westshore, and a quick trip over to the other side of South Tampa to another friends place in Bayshore Towers along Bayshore Blvd.

Sunday, I found out one of my favorite middle eastern eateries does a brunch buffet starting at noon, so we went over to Genghis Khan, and at 12:30, we were only one of two tables in the entire place, and had the fresh buffet to ourselves, lots of middle eastern cold salads(like fresh hummus, taboule, chopped with feta, etc....), and for hot entrees fresh beef kabobs, rice, two different middle eastern chicken dishes. Fresh, warm pita was also served. It was good.

Dog Walks and Mediterranean Eats

Decided to take Tyson to Gadsden Park on MacDill Ave next to the base. Great walking, blading trail along the lake, and one of the nicest dog parks, with shaded trees, all fenced in. It was very quiet with just a few people around 4pm this Wednesday.
This evening, decided to eat out on a recommendation from flfoodhound, and tried Gengis Khan on MacDill near Interbay Ave. EXCELLENT Shish Kabobs(chicken, lamb and beef)..great menu! While driving back home, I realized how nice it is that there are all these little neighborhoods in South Tampa, with great Mom and Pop type retail and restaurants: Interbay Ave near MacDill Ave and Bayshore Blvd, MacDill Ave from Bay to Bay Blvd to Wallcraft Ave, Bay to Bay Blvd from Bayshore to Himes Ave, Westshore Avenue near Euclid Ave.