Manatee County is blessed with a collection of nature preserves, several fairly close by. We returned to Robinson Preserve twice in the past two weeks with my visiting sisters and brothers-in-law. It’s a great place for a winding walk up, down, and around several bodies of water. Each time we were rewarded with bird sightings, particularly a large group of white pelicans. With binoculars in hand, our guests were also able to spot the occasional songbird, along with here and there a little blue heron.
Art Show
This past weekend was our local art show. Residents were invited to register to display their creative work. The range of pieces from more than twenty individuals included paintings, jewelry, photography, quilts and needlepoint, ceramics, baskets, and even fused glass art. Not surprisingly, there were many bird photographs, both of local tropical birds and songbirds. For the record, the Chief Penguin and I each had several of our photos on display too. It was a most enjoyable afternoon event showcasing local talent.
We’d been told many of our neighbors had already discovered this newish Bradenton restaurant, but we just had our first meal with friends. It was a weeknight, but still very much a happening place! Mean Dean’s has a large space with bar seating and lots of booths. Fortunately, we had a reservation and were seated right away.
The menu is extensive with everything from spinach dip and fried calamari to soups, salads, and tacos to a variety of meat and seafood entrees. Think comfort food. Among the four of us, we sampled the shrimp and grits, lobster lasagna, fish and chips, and the short rib over a Thai peanut sauce. The lasagna and the short rib were probably the standouts.
Shrimp and grits
Portions are generous, and everything was tasty! The noise level is boisterous so don’t expect a romantic interlude. We will return, perhaps after the snowbirds depart.
WHAT I’M READING
Jane Harper’s latest mystery, Exiles, is off to a promising start and is a welcome change of pace from my last long book. Set in Australia, it again features Aaron Falk, a financial detective. I’ve read all of Harper’s previous books and am a big fan of hers.
I confess that I’ve become something of a Florida wimp when it comes to weather, and the cold here in New York makes me want to hibernate. The Chief Penguin and I trek 20 minutes each way for our daily visit with our granddaughters and also walk to dinner at one of several neighborhood restaurants. We have not been to any museum exhibits yet—that’s on the docket for this coming week. On a recent raw rainy day, we took a day trip to Philadelphia to spend time with some good friends. The weather was cold, but the reception warm. We’ve also been enjoying the lighted trees and decorations around town, something we see less of at home.
One of many lighted trees on Park Ave.
Elaborate Christmas decorations
Bells on the Mongolian consulate
Santa at The Mark Hotel
VIEWING
Astrid (PBS Masterpiece)
Autistic characters are highlighted in several recent TV drama series. A few years ago, I watched the American series, The Good Doctor, featuring a talented surgeon with autism, played by Freddie Highmore. And as I mentioned in my last post, I’m now into the South Korean series, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, about an autistic young lawyer.
My friend Cathie recommended Astrid, a French series set in Paris about a woman who works in the criminal records archives and, with an unusual memory for small details, sees connections between seemingly unrelated cases. Detective Raphaelle Coste enlists Astrid’s aid in solving a case, and although Astrid is reluctant to step outside of her well ordered routines, she provides insights that no one else can. It’s another realistic and engaging portrayal of autistic skills and challenges.
The first episode introduces the characters and is an hour and a half; subsequent episodes run just under an hour. There are 10 episodes in the first season; season 2 is out, but I am not sure whether it’s going to be available on PBS.
This Upper East Side eatery on 2nd Avenue is a welcome addition to our roster of Italian restaurants. We had walked by it many times, but never stopped. This time, we had lunch with our son and family. Our two granddaughters each ordered pizza, Margherita and an arrabiata and pretty much devoured them. They were baked in a wood-fired oven with a very thin crust.
The adults ordered pasta from homemade gnocchi bolognese to spinach ravioli to pappardelle with duck ragu. Everything was very good, but the standout was the almost silky duck ragu. It deserved the two exclamation points by its description on the menu.
The menu also includes several enticing veal entrees as well as salads so I see a return visit soon. Service was pleasant and the restaurant only slightly busy on this Saturday.
We mourned the loss of our favorite tapas restaurant El Porron which went out of business due to Covid. Since then, we’ve been scouting around for a suitable replacement. While studying the menu outside the other day, the Chief Penguin met a young man from the Pil Pil staff. He encouraged the CP to dine here and CP told him we soon would. Pil Pil is a small place on E. 78th Street off Third Avenue featuring Spanish dishes including some tapas. Our first foray here was good, but not outstanding.
We sampled the tomato bread (excellent and more like a bruschetta than pan con tomate), fried calamari (thicker rings heavily breaded with a tasty lemon mayonnaise), ham croquettes, and the shrimp in olive oil and garlic.
To close the loop, the Chief Penguin stopped the young man greeter from the other day, and then donned his fuzzy wool hat so the man could really remember him! He’s from Serbia and all of 22. He was very personable and comped us cake for dessert. We will definitely go back and try some of the ham and cheese selections.
Note: Photos by JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)
We spent Thanksgiving week in North Carolina enjoying relaxing times with family, but also dining out with my sisters and brothers-in-law. Chapel Hill and Greensboro offer a range of choices; here are several we tried. I also admired the last of the fall colors, here and there spectacular red and blazing yellow foliage.
IN GREATER CHAPEL HILL
Tarantini
An inviting casual Italian restaurant in the Governors Club development. The menu offers pasta, pizzas, and both veal and chicken dishes. The house and Greek salads were good, and, our table had several orders of lasagna and one of the beef short ribs. I had their chicken piccata with capers in a nicely thick lemony sauce. Service was very friendly, but our waitress was too eager to clear the plates.
Flair
Flair Fusion Restaurant (TripAdvisor)
Flair is a sister restaurant to Tarantini in the same complex and somewhat more elegant in its décor. It is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a menu that has some Asian touches. We had dinner and the food was delicious.
The entrée menu runs the gamut from sophisticated salmon and chicken dishes to shrimp and grits, lobster ravioli, and lamb osso bucco with risotto. There are also burgers, Asian noodle and rice dishes, and a wide range of starters including a tasty duck confit egg roll which I ordered. For my main course, I opted for rice vermicelli with veggies and shrimp in a scallion ginger sauce. A pleasant vibe and professional service make this appealing for a return visit.
PITTSBORO
The Modern Life Deli & Drinks
We always look forward to lunch and shopping in historic Pittsboro, just down the road from Chapel Hill. Our usual place is the S & T’s Soda Shoppe, but they are often closed around Thanksgiving. They were this time too, so we returned to The MOD for their good sandwiches, salads and pizzas. Noteworthy were the grilled cheese and bacon sandwich and the soft pretzels accompanied by mustard and an addictive queso which we all dipped into.
CARY
Academy Street Bistro
Exterior & courtyard of Academy Street Bistro (The Triangle Explorer)
Located in old downtown Cary in Ashworth Village, Academy Street Bistro is an attractive casual place serving both lunch and dinner. For summer days, there’s lovely patio seating. We had lunch here and appreciated the warm welcome and the delicious salads. My Caesar salad with grilled chicken was just perfect; the thin strips of chicken did not overwhelm the greens. Others in our group had their salads with a tasty crab cake on top.
Ashworth Village is a charming set of shops including an olive oil and vinegar store and a gallery featuring works by local artists. This part of Cary is very walkable. We checked out the impressive new regional library and a grand red brick elementary school that is now a performing arts center.
GREENSBORO
Green Valley Grill
Located in the same area as the Proximity Hotel and its Printworks restaurant which we have enjoyed, the Green Valley Grill is adjacent to the O. Henry Hotel, Proximity’s sister property. The dining room is spacious and attractive with dark wood and high ceilings. The menu is creative, and the chef has upped the ante on some standards with intriguing twists. We began with za’atar spiced crispy cauliflower for the table.
The Chief Penguin and I each ordered chicken salads; he the peasant variation with a tomato vinaigrette and I, the grilled chicken Cobb with Gorgonzola dressing. A and P sampled the farro salmon salad and the white flatbread topped with several cheeses, mushrooms, and broccolini. Everything was very good. I’d be happy to explore the menu further!
BACK HOME IN SARASOTA
Bijou Garden Café
Under new ownership for a about a year now, the formerly named Bijou Café revamped and redecorated and became the Bijou Garden Café. Recently, we came to celebrate our anniversary. The new décor is lovely, even elegant. One of the dining areas, which we liked, has been given over to the bar and bar seating and seems to be very popular.
Swordfish
The menu has been streamlined, shortened actually, and a couple of my favorites like the chicken paillard and the trout are among the missing. The entrees emphasize meat—beef, lamb, and duck, with prices ranging from $38 to $43. I ordered the grilled swordfish on orzo with spinach which was delicious and less expensive at $30. The Chief Penguin’s chicken Provencal with roast potatoes was a bit under seasoned. This was our second dinner here, and we still miss the old Bijou. I don’t think we’ll hurry back.
Lina promises her dying mother that she will spend the summer before college in Rome. In this bonbon to Italy, she falls in love with the city and the people. Along the way, she has several romantic interests while being under the protective care of Francesca, her mother’s longtime friend. It is a summer of firsts for Lina as she wonders about her unknown father. The movie is based on a young adult novel of the same name. I happened on this when I was looking for some treadmill viewing. It’s cute and sweet, and less predictable than I expected.
I had just read a review of this new movie starring Jennifer Lawrence when the Chief Penguin and I were settling in to watch something else and up popped a link to Causeway. It’s a slow measured film about returning Afghanistan vet Lynsey who suffered a brain injury from an exploding IED.
Returning home after rehabilitation, she struggles to put a life back together. She meets car mechanic James who lost a leg in a car accident, and the two hesitantly gravitate toward spending time together. They are about as dissimilar as can be, one white, one Black, one straight, one gay, but both broken in some way. The performances are moving, Brian Tyree Henry’s as much as Lawrence’s. It’s painful viewing at points, but a meaningful film.
Emily Blunt stars and is an executive producer of this western set in 1890 on the plains in Kansas and Oklahoma. Based on the review I read, I was predisposed to like it, but I’m finding it hard going.
Blunt is Lady Cornelia Locke, an English woman bent on revenge for the killing of her young son. On her journey, she encounters and is rescued by Sgt. Eli Whipp, a now retired Pawnee scout, played by Chaske Spencer. His goal is to file a land claim for an allotment in Nebraska. They are an unlikely pair, but slowly they begin to accept each other, and a fragile trust is born. It’s a lawless time out west with every man out for himself.
The scenery is stunning, the violence gruesome and gory, and the pace is deliberate and slow. I’ve watched almost three episodes of the six while on the treadmill, but it’s so slow, that I may return to it when I am not moving.
NEW FICTION
FAMILY SAGA
French Braid by Anne Tyler
Tyler at 80 (Sydney Morning Herald)
Tyler’s most recent novel, French Braid, was my book group’s pick for November. While I didn’t love this book, most of the group didn’t care for it at all. We grappled with whether Mercy, the mother, was the focal point and if she was a typical woman of the 1950’s and 60’s, frustrated in middle age in her attempts to have a career.
Over 60 years, the book follows the Garrett family of Mercy, her husband Robin, and their three children, Lily, Alice, and David. It begins with their first family vacation in 1959 through the children’s marriages, Robin and Mercy’s 50th wedding anniversary, and the arrival of several grandchildren. They are a diffuse collective who are often detached and aloof from one another.
Mercy, an aspiring artist and unfulfilled mother, effectively leaves her husband for her art, but neither she nor the other family members publicly acknowledge that fact. David, the youngest child, seldom communicates with his parents or sisters and quietly marries a work colleague. In later years, a grandson doesn’t socialize with relatives believing they are unaware that he is gay and has a partner.
Tyler’s writing is always engaging even if you don’t care for the characters. You can appreciate what she is doing and how she demonstrates that common personality traits or actual gestures persist through the generations. They connect these seemingly disparate individuals like the kinked strands of hair in a French braid. (~JWFarrington)
DINING OUT
Scuderia Italian Cuisine, Bradenton
Located next to the Oakmont Theater on Cortez Road West, Scuderia is a new addition to Bradenton’s dining scene. It specializes in pizzas and pasta in an open space with an industrial feel to it.
We dined here recently with friends and found the service friendly and welcoming and the food very good. The portions are generous, and several of us had some to take home for the next day’s lunch. Among us, we sampled the penne pasta with meatballs, clams with linguini, and several of the chicken dishes. I thought the chicken franchaise with spinach was particularly good. Side salads came with a wide choice of dressings. Good for casual dining. Next time, we should try a pizza.
Note: Header photo is a scene from the film, Love and Gelato (Netflix Life).
