Beth is the founder and CMO (Chief "Making it Happen" Officer) for Splashy Ventures.
When she isn't dreaming about new information to share about our special vacation destinations - Gulfport FL, Treasure Island FL, Scottsdale, AZ, Oamaru, NZ and St Omer Bay, NZ - she can be found traveling and photographing the great outdoors.
Where can you find a cozy lounge, with a blended decor reflecting a cross between Casablanca and India?
Why Gulfport, of course!
Founded in 2018, SumitrA was created to provide a relaxing environment.
“Coffee and drinks that won’t let you down.”
A place for artists, poets and musicians.
Time to order
SumitrA specializes in CBD beverages and baked goods, but there are also a variety of gluten-free and vegan pastries and other options for the entire family.
Iced coffee and coffee cake. A match made in heaven.
Take a trip without leaving Gulfport
SumitrA offers a wide variety of Espresso selections, loose leaf teas, CBD sodas, what grass shots, tonics, Nitro hemp cold brew, steamers and smoothies.
Oh and a variety of European style homemade baked goods.
Dine in, dine out, sing along, watch some sports. And did we mention you can actually hear your dining companions when dining indoors at Neptune Grill?
That is, if there’s time to talk to your group while you’re busy stuffing your face with Greek goodness.
Yes, the Bahama Mamas deserve top billing
And the chicken salad deserves the No 2 spot
I recommend trying the Pastichio. No matter if you’ve sworn off meat, pasta or Bechamel sauce. You’re forgiven for cheating just this once.
The Neptune Chicken is a delightful mixture of sauteed chicken breast, green peppers, spinach, tomato, basil, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.
The good ole American cheeseburger is everything you want it to be. Can you tell I’m a repeat customer?
O’Maddy’s is almost too popular for its own good. It’s always crowded, but that’s because the food is always good.
Life always presents us with tough choices, but at O’Maddy’s, you don’t have to think too hard. Whatever appetizer you pick (Frank’s Fried Fish Nuggets, Collin’s Irish Chips) is bound to be great. Come for drinks and choose from inventive concoctions (Gulfport Guava Breeze, Key Lime Pie Martini) and beach cocktail classics.
One of many delicious sandwiches
Quesadillas
O’Maddy’s knows how to feed a crowd in a timely fashion and they stay open late. Really late. 3 am! And some dishes on the menu are named after locals. You may be able to thank them in person.
5405 Shore Blvd South, across from William’s Pier and next to Salty’s
‘d be lying if I said I wasn’t suspicious of Smokin’’ J’s at first. I mean, they’re from Texas. Why did they leave the land of BBQ?! But after couple of meals here, I no longer care why or how they ended up in Florida—I’m just glad they did.
Smokin’ J’s has the secret sauce (literally, with two options: sweet and hot) and the tasty sides (green beans, mac and cheese, etc.) that you’d expect of a BBQ joint. Their brisket is actually my least favorite, as it is a little too dense and dry for me. But the ribs, smoked sausage and pulled pork (smoked for 14-16 hours and then hand-pulled) will satisfy any carnivorous craving.
Assorted BBQ meats
If you’re in town for the holidays, be sure and call ahead to order a smoked turkey.
Save yourself a load of work, give your oven a break and impress family and friends.
Smokin’ J’s goes all out for the holidays
If you dare, take on the Smokin’ J’s BBQ Challenge. Win, and this challenge is free; lose and you’ll pay $49.
To win, you have to consume the following in one hour: a pound each of sliced brisket, pulled chicken, pulled pork, sliced sausage, a boneless rack of ribs, and pickles and onions on a bun with a jalapeno to top it all off.
See the pictures. And bless your little heart if you try!
Now making a dizzying assortment of homemade ice cream flavors
Pia’s
and Backfin tie for my favorite Gulfport restaurant. Pia’s food rivals
anything I’ve had in Italy, and I ate well in Italy! Over the years, Pia
has expanded from a tiny eatery to include a few indoor dining rooms as
well as an outdoor courtyard and sidewalk dining. This is a good
thing: the word is out and Pia and the staff deserve all the compliments
they get from happy diners.
The Lasagna Bolognese is my staple but half the time I’m diverted from that option by a mouthwatering Daily Special. For appetizer enthusiasts, the salads and soups are equally delicious.
Yep, that’s THE lasagna
Insalata Pia – Romaine, arugula, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and gorgonzola cheese
Despite
the fact that they’re closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (the nerve!)
Backfin Blue is one of my favorites. Why, you ask? Let me count the
reasons: crab cakes, meatloaf, the Mr. Oscar (the day’s fresh catch, expertly prepared), crab and corn chowder, prime rib…I could go on!
Backfin
Blue is tucked in a charming old house on Beach Boulevard. Dine outside
if you can: there’s better acoustics and you may be treated to a
serenade by a crooner next door at the Peninsula Inn.
No, it’s not Cathy’s Rum Cakes. These are crab cakes. Cakes on the savory end
of the “cake” spectrum.
Made with Baltimore style jumbo lump crab meat.
Made with minimal filler.
Made with a hint of secret seasoning and Old Bay.
Blake is from the Baltimore ‘burbs. He started helping his dad in the kitchen
when he was 5. He worked for two well-known Baltimore seafood
restaurants. He visited St Pete, fell in love with it and moved here a few
months later.
Pretty much the entire menu
What to Get
Really?
Crab cakes!
It actually says on the menu, underneath “Blake’s Cakes”, “this
is what you came for”.
Perfectly blended, so that the freshness and flavor of the crab
shines through. Just the bare minimums
of seasonings and bindings to make the cake.
Perfection in a little golden ball.
The perfect complement to the crab cakes are the French Fries. These fries lightly dusted with Old Bay are on my top 5 French Fry list, which was unexpected. In a restaurant focused on crab cakes, it would be easy to “go easy” on the sides. But it is clear that Blake has artfully crafted every single item he puts on his menu to the delight of my taste buds. And Blake’s Yum Yum sauce (homemade Siracha mayo) was perfect on the fries.
The Yum Yum sauce is in one of these
What To Know If You Go
They do sometimes sell out, so call if you’re coming late in
the day or coming from a distance.
They also don’t stay open very late. Blake has a life. As he should.
The place is very small.
You won’t be having your large birthday party here. The size also means that it is easy to miss
in the strip center if you’re not paying attention. Put the address in your GPS and believe it
when it says “you have arrived”. You
have indeed.
My mom and I started dining at Red Mesa for over ten years
ago. We used to go for the Sunset Menu, which
is a fixed price & set selection menu available from 4-6 pm Mondays through
Fridays. I still love that menu option and the pricing is very attractive. However, the Sunset Menu is very popular so
this can be a very busy time slot! The
only thing missing from it is dessert.
Which you can always add if you have room in your waistband.
One of these days I’m going to make it for weekend brunch.
Why You Should Go
Guacamole
Chorizo fundido
Black bean soup
The desserts
Chorizo Fundido Served Chorizo Fundido ready to eat
The Guacamole(s)
One food that makes my heart go pitter-patter Is guacamole. And
Red Mesa Restaurant has 4 variations of guacamole. There’s a traditional
guacamole made with fresh avocado, onion jalapeno, cilantro and lime. And a guacamole
made with blue crab. If you’re feeling a bit spicy, you can choose the chorizo
and corn guacamole or the Chipotle chili guacamole.
Or if you’re like me and can’t decide? Opt for the guacamole sampler where you get a
choice of 3.
Chorizo Fundido
Guacamole love aside, the fundido is why you’re really here. I fell in love with Queso Funddo at a Rick Bayless restaurant, so I’m always looking for one to match that experience. Red Mesa’s Chorizo Fundido never disappoints and is itself a meal. It seriously just melts in your mouth.
The Desserts
Red Mesa doesn’t overwhelm you with a million choices for dessert. There are usually only a handful and I’ve had every one of them. While they are all delicious, if you have to choose here are my recommendations, in order: the guava empanada, the chocolate spoon cake, the churros and the creme brulee cheesecake. Of course, if they ever have flan, get it.
The Red Mesa Restaurant Family
Red Mesa Restaurant is one of 3 Red Mesa dining experiences. The others include Red Mesa Cantina and Red Mesa Mercado. These other two include more expansive menus and both larger restaurants with more outside dining space. If you have been to either one and would like to let us know what you thought, please leave your feedback in the comments section below.
Alcohol
Noteworthy: At one time the restaurant did not have a hard liquor license so all drinks including margaritas were made with wine. That has now changed and the menu for drinks includes an assortment of tequilas and spirits such scotch, whiskey, rum, vodka and gin.
Red Mesa Restaurant is located at 4912 4th St N in St Petersburg. Phone 727-527-8728.
Have you ever had two different people tell you that you
should meet someone, and then you met that someone in a totally random
situation?
That happened to me in early December, and that’s how I came
to learn about Craft Kafe. The someone (Keith)
turned out to be an invaluable source of food recommendations, second only to
my friend (and sometimes-guest) Rita.
So far Keith is batting 1000.
I can just feel the microfoam on my tongue
Still, I’m sort of surprised that I didn’t just sense
somehow that Craft Kafe existed. It is
the sort of place I pine for when I’m not in New Zealand. Which is 11 months
out of the year.
Craft Kafe just has “it”.
And you can tell by the loyal patrons showing up again and again.
How to choose, how to choose
It’s an easy shot from Gulfport (just head up 58th
St and hang a left on Central) or from Treasure Island (head down Gulf Blvd to
Central, hang a left and head to 6653 Central Avenue.
Everything we’ve had was delicious. Check out the our pics and their website for
ideas.
Raspberry turnoverCrafty cups
Oh and super bonus for some of you? It’s gluten-free.
