Dinner With Gram

So for as much of a foodie as I am, I'm surprised its taken me this long to share about my food adventures while while visiting Florida in May! 

The 1st night I got to my Grandmother's in St. pete we went to The Peninsular Inn for dinner in Gulfport where  was able to get a gluten free meal!

It was a gorgeous night with a nice breeze and a band playing on the adjacent patio. 

 We had a wonderful waiter. Seriously, he was literally the most knowledgable and accommodating person I've ever met in any food service related role when it came to gluten free and immediately put my "eating out" nerves at ease! Not to mention the way he addressed and interacted with my Grandmother was hilarious with is light and totally joking sarcasm and referring to her and her friends (who frequent the place weekly) as "those girls" as if they are always up to no good.

It was quite nice and Gram as I call her told me all about her Ladies Club that goes meets there for dinner every Wednesday for the Early Bird $2 a glass wine special... cuz you can't beat that! ;)

"Salt & Pepa's Here and We're In Effect"

Ah, Push it!

Sorry, just had to complete that lyrical thought! ;)

This post is for one of my very best friends. A girl who put up with me in small living quarters for a whole year when I lived in Arkansas and who has continued to be one of my dearest friends ever since, putting up with many a long phone call full of giggles on both ends!

Kari likes to collect Salt and Pepper shakers. So lately whenever I'm in a thrift or antique shop I try to take a few minutes to look over the salt and pepper shakers. Mainly to get ideas so that I can make her some using my skills as a ceramic artist! 

But the Gulfport Beach Bazaar had soo many salt & pepper shakers that I just couldn't help sharing the images I snapped for Kari and any other collectors to enjoy! 

 This eggs in a basket is definitely one I'm going to recreate in my own style at the studio! 

 And I loved these petite little shimmery orange ones which in hindsight I kind of wish I had just gotten but felt like they were too much at $8. I know, I'm a cheap scape! But they were missing the corks in the bottom and were literally an inch and a half tall! Sorry Kari! 

Also, because the glaze was shimmery I am pretty sure it was a lead glaze on them which would have made them unsafe for food, and if I'm anything as a ceramic artists, it's that I am a stickler about food ware ceramics being food safe.

 I'm not kidding, there were soooo many! I could have stood there for an hour just trying to take in the individuality of each set... so instead I snapped a few pics! 

See anything you like Kari!? :)

The Cute & Quaint Little Town of Gulfport!

So while in Florida, I also visited St. Petersburg. I prefer to drive and the bonus of driving is that I have the freedom to go beyond my primary destination. My grandmother resides for about 70% of the year in  St. Petersburg and the other 30% in NY at our family cabin during the summer. 

Within walking distance of my Gram's condo, like literally 3 blocks, is the beachy town of Gulfport!

I love visiting this little 1 street town and taking a stroll down the sidewalk on a 1st Friday or 3rd Saturday night when all the local artisans are out!

I happened to arrive at my Gram's on the afternoon of May 1st, so after a stop at my favorite clay shop we went to Gulfport for an evening stroll and some dinner. 

 Normally when I've been here in years past the sidewalks are lined for 4 blocks on both sides with vendor tents but because the forecast had been rain a lot of the vendors had apparently chosen not to come. 

 There were a few out though, the fella who had this abalone shell jewelry stand was quite the salesman, but I just looked. He actually had really reasonable prices with nothing being over $20 but I'm just not into this kind of stuff any more. But I do enjoy looking! :)

 If there was anything I'd have wanted to buy on the table.. it was the shell itself! Haha.

 Gulfport has a lot of great little eateries with pretty outdoor seating areas and this Italian restaurant had the prettiest flowers and bright yellow tuscan exterior. 

 There was even a little Yorkie King outside a local fro yo shop... I snapped a pic mainly because it made me miss Fritz, though he is much cuter that this guy!

 Despite the forecast for rain, it never did rain, in fact it was a gorgeous evening with a nice cool breeze from the ocean which is just behind that green building (the Gulfport Casino) at the end of the street!