Places I Eat: The Sandbar, Anna Maria Island

After having a picnic, the Sandbar on Anna Maria Island is my second favorite place to eat on the beach. The restaurant opened in 1913, and I've been going since I was a little girl. This was the first place I was allowed to sit at a table sans parents, making me feel like such an adult. I must have been about 9 or 10 when my friend and I were allowed our own table; truth be told it was probably as much of a break from the adults to be rid of us as it was for us to be rid of them.

You can eat inside, but the main attraction is the outside seating deck and the tables that are right on the beach. James and I went one night in early November. It was freakishly cold that night, but with the outside heaters we decided to brave the cold to enjoy the sunset. The outside area has such a great relaxed atmosphere with live music. There was a wedding at their reception pavilion that night, so we were "treated" to their music instead of our own.The Sandbar have a lovely menu of tropical drinks, perfect for a hot sunny day. My favorite is the Passion Fruit Pina Colada, but I passed as it was too cold that night for a frozen drink. James stayed true to his Sandbar staple, a Bahama Mama. The Sandbar has two different menus: a Deck Menu and an Inside Menu. As I don't eat seafood, this can prove to be a bit of a challenge. They have an amazing Shrimp salad that I'm able to get with blackened or jerk chicken that is sprinkled with Gorgonzola cheese, fresh mango, and has a passion fruit dressing. Until recently, it had been added to the Deck Menu, but as it was so cold that night, I wasn't in the mood for salad. Once it gets warmer it's back to pleading with my server to have something on the Inside Menu.

We had gotten there a little early for the sunset so decided to have a starter. I had their house salad (also with mango and passion fruit dressing) and James opted for a more sensible cup of soup. We both opted for the Buffalo Burger with Swiss, Mushrooms, and Sauteed Onions as our main course. There is something about a burger on the beach that you just can't beat. It also takes be back to my childhood when it was about the only non-seafood option. The burgers there are huge, and when paired with fries, can definitely be shared by two, which is what we'll do the next time we get a burger there.

Sitting in the cold was completely worthwhile for a view like this... Another perk of eating outside before sunset is that your server takes your guess of what time you think the sun will disappear into the gulf. Whoever gets the closest guess to the actual time wins a bottle of sparkling wine. We've yet to win, but have come pretty close. Whether your looking for somewhere to unwind after a stressful weekday or to have a relaxing dinner on the weekend, The Sandbar is definitely a lovely place to be.

Sunset Picnic at the Beach

One of my favorite places to eat in Sarasota is at the beach, about an hour before sunset. As a local, this is something I don't do often enough. There are so many places to dine in Sarasota, but there is something about a picnic on the beach that just can't be beat.

When we don't make our own food, we like to pop in to Morton's Gourmet Market on Osprey Avenue to pick up some of their lovely prepared foods. To complete it, you only need a couple of chairs or a blanket, a bottle of wine (keep in mind that glass is banned on the beach), and a nice spot on the beach to sit back and enjoy the view.

Sietsa Key Beach (voted Travel Channel's "America's Best Beach 2003") is the most popular in the area, but Lido Beach is closer to our house, and less crowded, making it the ideal spot for a picnic.

Lunch at Restaurant Miramar in Marseille (10/09)

The pièce de résistance of our day in Marseille was lunch at the renowned Restaurant Miramar, whom are famous for their most authentic bouillabaisse. Situated overlooking the harbor, it was the ideal place to sit outdoors for lunch while soaking up the atmosphere of Marseille. We were entertained by several street performers, my favorite was very reminiscent of Django Reinhardt. The "main attraction" to le Miramar is most definitely the bouillabaisse which is served in the traditional fashion: fish and shellfish served on a platter with the broth in a separate bowl. This is all served with a rounds of bread spread with rouille (a mayonnaise like sauce with garlic, chili, and saffron). When ordering the bouillabaisse, you are presented with a selection of sea creatures to choose from. This is one occasion that I really wished I could have seafood. The ceremony of having bouillabaisse in the place that is argued to have the most authentic in the world would have been a badge of honor I would have proudly worn. We opted for a few land roaming choices and were treated to this leisurely, very enjoyable meal...

We were first treated to a slice of black truffle on toast. While I've had many things that were "truffle flavored", this was my first experience indulging in an actual, non-dried truffle. It was divine. The first bite was a little strange. It had a musty, pungent flavor, but the more I ate, the more I liked it. The second bite definitely had more of a mushroom/beefy tone. To completely savor the experience, I took little bites to optimize this course.

This was then followed by a small glass of chopped seafood in a soup very similar to gazpacho. I sadly had to pass, but I did enjoy the zucchini/olive bread that was served with it. It was yeast free and had the texture of a "quick bread". It would have also gone nicely with an olive or artichoke spread. Perhaps even a hummus.
We were feeling completely spoilt and relaxed by the time our main course arrived: potato galette - on top of filet de boeuf- on top of polenta with a drizzle of au jus and olive oil.
For dessert I opted for the selection of strawberry treats. There was a strawberry crème brûlée, strawberry milk shake (no ice cream involved, more like whipped strawberry milk), strawberry sorbet with a strawberry wafer (looks a bit like salami now) and in the center a few stewed strawberries, marinated strawberries, and the skewer on top a very interesting, chewy strawberry candy. The presentation was fantastic, and not to be outdone by the other courses, before you are even served your first, the pastry chef comes out with a separate dessert menu to take your order. I was very sad that all of this was coming to an end, and then came our coffee...

Our coffee was served with this delightful platter of sweets. Now this is a place I could get used to!

Le Miramar
12, quai du Port
13002 Marseille
Tél. : 04 91 91 10 40 - 04 91 91 41 09
Fax : 04 91 56 64 31
Email : contact@bouillabaisse.com

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Le Quai des Belges Daily Fish Market ~ Marseille (10/09)

As you would expect from a large city on the Mediterranean Sea, Marseille boasts an amazing daily fish market which starts about 8:00 in the morning, lasting until some time around 1:00 in the afternoon.

While I'm not a seafood fan, I've had an intolerance all of my life, I could appreciate the beauty, value and history of this market. You know what you are looking at was just caught hours before from the Mediterranean. This isn't only a way of life for the fishermen (and women), it is part of the culture of Marseille, and has been for years. You have not only generations of families going out to sea to make a living, but generations of people that have been relying on them for fresh fish. This truly gives meaning to the term "buying local". There was such an energizing atmosphere that I was able to overlook the smell that usually sends me looking for a bucket to soak up the experience. I mean, I'm in Marseille!!! I've seen this market in many travel and cook books, and I was actually there. It was such an exhilarating experience, and I'm so glad that I was able to go.

Each vendor has a blue table with sides to contain the mess (for lack of better term) which are also marked with their vendor code and in most cases their name.
This was the first Rascasse Rouge (brown sea scorpion) I had ever seen in the flesh, so to speak. This is a staple ingredient in making an authentic bouillabaisse.

"GU MA861363" looked very familiar to me, and I later discovered that he was familiar because his photo is in several of my travel and cook books. I didn't know that there was going to be some celeb siting at this market!

With lovely views of the harbor, weather permitting, I'd say every day is a "good day at the office".

This sign reads "Soupe 10€ kg". It was just a melange of sea creatures, but obviously bouillabaisse comes to mind. What also comes to mind is a show that I used to watch in England called Ready, Steady, Cook. I think that there may have been a US version on the Food Channel as Ready, Set, Cook. Anyway, each episode an audience member was give an allowance to go and buy a bag of random groceries to present to the dueling Celeb Chefs. Dueling chefs aside, I would love to see what Lisa from Heart & Thistle would come up with. She has some of the most amazing looking seafood dishes I've seen prepared at home.

The market adds such a strong presence to the square that it is so bare and sort of sad when they are gone. There is comfort in the knowledge that tomorrow is another day, and the market will be back with their catch du jour.