Tuesday, February 14, 2012 – Wrapping up Valentine’s Day
Elliott’s tummy is acting rebellious, so around 5:30 p.m., I settled in solo at the bar of Ceviche, a Spanish restaurant adjacent to the Ponce. The “tapas Tuesday” menu allowed me to order a veritable feast, 3 delectable choices, all washed down with a refreshing glass of red Sangria. A smoked paprika aioli accompanied the crispy Calamares Fritos. Champiñones del Monte was a mélange of meaty mushrooms, darkened from a soak in a garlicky marinade. And my final selection, Corazones de Alcachofas, combined hearts of artichokes and hearts of palm (hearts for Valentine’s Day!) with tiny capers and giant caper berries, pickled onions, and red peppers. There was even a loaf of bread to dip into a dish of chopped herbs swimming in a fruity olive oil. Everything was delicious, and I tried my best to finish, but it was impossible. Fortunately, we’ll be in St. Petersburg next Tuesday so I can sample a new round of tapas then.
As soon as I finished, I hustled over to the Publix supermarket to pick up provisions for Elliott’s evening meal. At 6:30 p.m., the Publix parking lot must be the busiest spot in town. Sliced white bread, unsweetened applesauce, and a bottle of Coca Cola – not exactly a gourmet dinner, but I hope it will placate his temperamental digestive system. On my way back to the hotel, I also grabbed a decaf coffee at Kiawah Coffee Roasters in an attempt to tame my garlic breath. It’s a shame Elliott won’t be able to share the raspberry and strawberry macarons that I tucked away earlier for our Valentine’s Day dessert. We’ll just have to celebrate again when he’s feeling better.
No comments:
Post a Comment