Dateline Dayton — Last week my essay was about our trip to Florida.
After my wife read it, she said:
“This was not one of your better ones. It wasn’t a whale,. It was a dolphin.”
Well, she’s correct on both points. I will try to do better. This week I will tell you about the neat places and great food we enjoyed.
On Sunday, we had breakfast at church, as they were having a pancake breakfast.
Actually, the pancakes and sausage were pretty good. The eggs, however, came in a bag. They were actually cooked in the bag.
Possibly a lot of scrambled eggs are prepared in this manner. But we did not need to see them pouring the eggs from the bag, into the serving tray. Since this was a men’s group having the breakfast, perhaps they didn’t know you shouldn’t show the paying public how you are fixing their eggs.
Sunday was the only morning we ate breakfast away from home. Some evenings we ate at home, one night enjoying a pizza from Luna’s.
Sunday evening we went to Luna’s, an Italian restaurant with great food. Since we waited to get a table inside, there was an opportunity to see how large their servings were. Pauline and I decided to split a lasagna dinner, which was more than enough for the two of us. However, we did manage to clean the plate, and it was delicious.
The interior of Luna’s is covered with sports items and other memorabilia. There are interesting displays, even from Ohio State. “Go, Buckeyes!” I don’t think there is a blank spot anywhere on the walls or ceiling. As the saying goes, “You can’t eat the atmosphere.” However, here’s an opportunity to view a lot of memorabilia and enjoy great food.
Beachside Dining
Monday, after shopping, we went to the beach. Since we were going out for supper, we just had appetizers at Sharky’s On The Pier. The sun was warm. We sat outside and enjoyed a beautiful view and good food. We have eaten at Sharky’s on previous trips, so we knew their reputation. Our friend Darlene had to do some fast talking to get us the beachside table.
Monday evening, our friends Joe and Pam took the four of us to Fisherman’s Wharf Marker IV, for great food and another beautiful setting. Afterward, we returned to their home so Darlene and Ray could see Joe’s cars and other collectibles. After spending some time in his garage, or should I say showroom, we went inside to have dessert, which Pam had prepared. More great food with good friends.
The next day we ate a late lunch on Longboat Key at Mar-Vista Dockside Restaurant & Pub. You must have directions to this place or you wouldn’t find it. If Joe hadn’t recommended it, we wouldn’t have stopped if we did see it. It looks rundown. Joe told us to turn at the closed gas station and look for a rusty tin roof. The outside seating provided a lovely view, and the food really was great. This place is a must, if you are ever on Longboat Key, even if you don’t want to see the peacocks.
Wednesday night we went to a pub in Sarasota for our St Patrick’s Day celebration. Things didn’t go well. My food should have been sent back. It was not warm, much less hot. How difficult is it to serve a hamburger and fries?
On Thursday we lunched with Pauline’s and Darlene’s friend Nan and husband Gale. We met at Pop’s Sunset Grill. It’s in the waters near Pop’s that the one-eye dolphin hangs out. I will save that story for another essay.
On Friday we had lunch at Hooters. All week I kept telling everyone about the great tilapia sandwich at Hooters. After each couple shared a sandwich, they agreed with my assessment. Hooters in Sarasota used to be a regular stop when we vacationed in Siesta Keys, but for some reason, Pauline got the idea we weren’t going there for the food.
Friday evening, we visited Althea’s in Venice, so Pauline and Darlene could get a lobster tail dinner. Here is another fine dining location and you can get a two lobster tail dinner for $14.99/$16.99 after 6 p.m. I enjoyed tilapia again, which was very good.
We are looking forward to a trip next year and another week of great dining experiences.
Mr. Hennessey may be contacted at pmhenn@sbcglobal.net