I have to apologize to you, dear readers, for my long absences from the blog as of late.  January has been a busy month for me – busy with mundane issues.  However, right now, I am in Florida.  I flew down to West Palm Beach on Friday to visit my mom, who spends her winters in the warmth of the South Florida sun. 

Setting out in the morning Saturday, we began our journey north, making frequent stops along the way.  I decided to take this road trip to meet my friend Stephanie.  One of my blog readers, Steph and I met about a year ago and began talking.  Well, in one year's time, we have become close dear friends – friends that never met face-to-face.  So Steph traveled down from Jacksonville for the weekend to visit her mother and I packed my mother up and dragged her with me to Tampa.

As I expected, Stephanie and I immediately bonded.  Screaming, she ran down the hallway of the hotel and gave ma a huge hug!  We spent a few moments catching up, then collected our parents, and took off for lunch at a local Cuban restaurant.

Now, I have a deep love of good Cuban food.  There is a special place in my heart for homemade Arros blanco con frejoles negros with mojo (white rice with black beans and garlic sauce) and a mango milkshake.  Stephanie knows this – which is why we ended up at one of the best Cuban dives in all of Tampa – Arcos Iris.

We went a little crazy with the ordering.  We planned to serve everything family style.  We had maduros (sweet plantain), yucca frita (fried cassava – like a French fry), rice and beans, arros moro (pre-mixed rice and beans) and boiled yucca.

Steph and my mom ordered soups.  Steph had a collard green and white bean soup that was outrageously good while my mom ordered the chicken soup, which they prepared with thick spaghetti-like noodles and saffron.

Next, our entrees arrived; I had a chicken dish made with peas, peppers, and chorizo.  My mother ordered a steak in brown gravy, Steph tried the chicken fricassee, and Steph's mom ordered the boiled chicken.  Each dish was more outstanding than the next, although I think the Yucca Frittas were – perhaps – some of the best I've ever had.  The only thing this restaurant did not offer was the mango milkshake.

After our eating fest, Steph's mom gave us a tour of the city.  We drove through most all of Tampa's districts, including the famous Ybor city and the beautiful bay waterfront.

We wrapped up a lovely afternoon with our respective moms and then dropped them both off as we went out to meet some of our MySpace friends.

There is a significant Tampa contingent of MySpace foodies.  We have all developed our friendships deeply throughout the previous year or so and as such, we looked forward to meeting each other.

Amanda worked Saturday nights in a restaurant in Tampa called Chateau SoHo, so we collectively decided to meet there. 

We realized from the moment we walked in the door that the restaurant not only expected us, but prepared in advance for our arrival.  We walked into a warm, cozy restaurant with deep, comfortable red velvet chairs and a cool wine list with a few wonderful, offbeat wine selections. 

Moments after we sat down, a gentleman approached us.

"I know these two ladies," he said.

I looked quizzically.  It took me a moment to realize that standing before me was our online friend Chef Hook.  Now – let me pause a moment to say that I have met many of my MySpace friends throughout the years and often, people look slightly different from their photos.  Sometimes it is a pleasant, some times not as pleasant.  In Hook's case, he looks much more dapper than his photos revealed online.   (I should tell you that I look exactly like my photos – or so most people say).

(Note the wine glass in the non-wine drinker's hand)
 

We all immediately began talking.  We clicked, like old friends that knew each other for years.  Shortly after Hook sat down, Amanda came out bearing appetizers…  First, she gave us a cheese plate with what looked like Humboldt fog, cheddar, brie, and goat cheese rolled in chopped nuts.  Next, we indulged in one of the chef's specialties, Louisiana crab cakes.  I would like to take a moment to pay homage to these delicious crab cakes.  Chef made them without breadcrumbs or breading of any kind.  I could taste the texture of lump crabmeat in each bite.  The remoulade sauce had just enough kick to liven up the dish without overpowering the flavor of the crab itself.

Amanda brought out the chef, who talked to us for some time about his escape from Hurricane Katrina and relocation to Tampa, where he serves several traditional New Orleans Cajon recipes.  Among the many stories we shared, Chef told us that after Katrina hit, his New Orleans restaurant physically moved one block away from where it was supposed to be.

When it came time to order, I told Chef to make me whatever he wanted me to eat.  Steph ordered a bowl of crawfish soup and Hook ordered a salad.

Meanwhile, we all chatted the evening away.  No matter what subject we veered off to, our conversation always made its way back to food preparation.  What a pleasure to spend the evening talking with others that enjoy food preparation as much as I do! 

Chef sent out a bowl of crab and brie soup.  This rich, decadent, and delicious bowl of creamy goodness delivered chunks of lump crabmeat in every bite.  Even though Steph and I were both still full from our Cuban mother-daughter luncheon, we couldn't help devouring the hot liquid goodness placed in front of us.

As we ate and talked, Amanda clocked out, sat down and joined us (in conversation anyway) for a while. 

Chef then sent out a Pork Napoleon, which Steph and I shared.  The Napoleon consisted of perfectly prepared pork chops layered with rings of fried eggplant, topped with a sprig of rosemary, and enveloped in a spicy Cajon style sauce.  Accompanying this tower of pork, chef served oven-roasted potatoes and grilled vegetables.  Hook ordered the Cajon trout.

Our piece de resistance came with dessert.  Amanda made many of the desserts.  She brought us out a chocolate soufflé, a bread pudding and a chocolate crepe.

Now, I have had many chocolate soufflés in my life.  The best ones (like Amanda's) have just the right chocolate intensity and a super-fine delicate texture.   However, her bread pudding was simply to die for!  She used fresh bread and soaked her raisins in Amaretto, then served it in a caramel sauce.  Steph, Hook and I devoured that bread pudding.

We all sat, ate and talked for about four hours, successfully closing the restaurant.  Before we left, Amanda mentioned that they also served a champagne Sunday brunch.  Well, the next morning, Steph and I took our mothers out again to Sunday brunch with Amanda. 

One of my favorite things about a brunch buffet is I can try a little bit of many different things.  Of course, we had many of the expected brunch fare: made to order omelets (which Amanda made), French Toast, bacon, etc.  However, Chef's specialties were what turned my head most, in particular the breaded Cajon catfish, which impressed me greatly.  Oh yes, and the butter!  They whipped three different flavor butters, herb-infused, mixed berry and lemon butter, each one more delicious and decadent than the next. 

Two hours later, it was time for us to hit the road for the long drive back to West Palm Beach.  I sadly said goodbye to my friend and headed south.  One the way up to Tampa, we drove north along the eastern coast on the Florida turnpike.  This relatively boring drive gave us a scenic view of the Florida State Police.  So on our way home, we decided to cruise along the western coast.  We crossed a phenomenal bridge in St. Petersburg that held Tampa Bay on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other.  The bridge traveled up on a 45 degree angle into the air and then back down again.  There is a fishing pier that ran along side it for quite a ways that bustled with activity, people fishing, rollerblading, biking, and lots of sea birds.  I love the sea birds, especially the pelicans!

We crossed the state on Route 80, which took us all through the sugar cane fields and ran the southern base of Lake Okeechobee, so when we hit Clewiston, we stopped along the boat launch to admire the wetlands.  We watched a mother osprey feed her young in a high nest above the water.  The turkey vultures flew unabashedly close to us and we snuck a peek of a crane in-between the reeds.  We took a bathroom break at the Clewiston Inn, which had the most amazing wall mural in it's bar of every animal and bird that is native to the state of Florida with one exception (you'll have to visit it to figure out what the exception is). 

Taking this western route tacked on an additional two hours to our already long trip, but enriched us with beautiful scenery and experiences beyond watching the Florida State Police issue tickets to tourists.