Los Chiludos Fresh Mexican Grill on Anna Maria

 

Los Chiludos Fresh Mexican Grill on Anna Maria Island is a family-run restaurant serving some of the tastiest California-style Mexican cuisine on the key. In 2022, Tera and Jose Lemus relocated to Anna Maria Island, having moved from Pittsburgh with their children, Anthony and Alonzo, who work in the restaurant each day.  Having visited Anna Maria Island for the first time ten years ago, they fell in love with the area and the people, and continue their culinary journey as restaurant owners. Born in Mexico City but trained in California, Chef Jose incorporates traditional Mexican flavours with a fresh, healthier Southern California twist with in true Los Chiludos flair.  

Handpainted mural inside Los Chiludos

Mix & Match Tacos with Tinga Chicken, Steak and Pork Carnitas, 

all topped with onion, cilantro and salsa

Chicken Burrito

Tapatío Hot Sauce

Shrimp Quesadillia with shredded cheese and pico de Gallo with salsa and sour cream

loschiludos.com

Mazzaro's Italian Gourmet Market in St. Petersburg

 

Located in the heart of St. Petersburg, Mazzaro's is more than a one-of-a-kind Italian gourmet market, it’s one of Tampa Bay’s favourite culinary destinations. Known for its handmade pastas, pre-made dishes, cheeses, olives, popular deli sandwiches, and decadent bakery items, Mazzaro's is food lovers paradise. Founded by the Cuccaro family in 1993 when they moved from Pennsylvania, they missed the old Italian neighbourhood they left behind. The smell and taste of great coffee, and the aroma of crusty fresh-baked Italian bread baked to perfection. So they set up in an old sausage factory, starting as a coffee roasting company. Due to the success of that, they decided to expand the business and added a deli, bakery, meat counter, coffee bar, wine and cheese room and fresh produce. Marrazo's also hosts wine tastings, book signings and next door, Cassa di Mazzaro is a wonderfully complete kitchenware shop. Magnifico!

Colourful murals on the exterior wall of Mazzaro's

The entrance to Mazzaro's, which was originally a sausage factory

Lovey fresh vegetables

Customers gather around Mazzaro's Gourmet Coffee Bar for a cappuccino and a fresh pastry

Morning cappuccino at Mazzaro's after bidding adieu to our friend Paul at Tampa Airport

Trays of freshly baked desserts waiting to be displayed in the bakery

Teresa hand making large Tortelloni filled with truffled oxtail ragu

Resistance was futile — so we purchased 8 of Teresa's little bundles for dinner tonight

Handmade Ravioli including Portobello & Cheese, Gorgonzola, Spinach & Ricotta and more

Dry cured sausages hanging at the Deli counter 

Mazzaro's meat and seafood counter with crazy paper maché shark bursting out of the wall

Stuffed pork chops

Wonderful selection of fresh fish and seafood

Mazzaro's cheese room

Italian, French, Danish and American cheeses plus there was a barrel of 

warm hand pulled mozzarella which was very impressive 

Row and rows of Italian wine

Beautifully handprinted ceramic jars of olive oil from the Amalfi Coast

'Meet Me At Mazzaro’s' is the story of the Italian Market built by The Cuccaro Family 

in the heart of St. Petersburg

mazzarosmarket.com

Venezia: Italian Pizzeria on St Armands Circle

 

Venezia's wood oven-baked pizzas with their famous homemade dough is the best pizza on St Armands Circle, and quite possibly on Longboat Key. With a long lineup around the circle in the evening during "the season", the best time to relax and enjoy one of their famous pizzas is during the day, which is what we do almost each week when we're on the Key. With a full menu including appetizers, salads, pastas, pizza, panini, burgers and entrées, there's no doubt why this St Armands staple has a cult following.

Venezia's menu is extensive with a full range of pizza, pasta, panini and more

Olive oil and red wine vinegar as extra condiments for salad plus parmesan and 

hot pepper flakes for those like like the pizzas with extra zing

Cold Stella Artois is perfect with a pizza

Lovely dry Spanish Rioja 

Marinara Pizza with tomato sauce, garlic, anchovies, mixed olives, 

mozzarella cheese and oregano

Venezia st armands pizza maker

venezia-1966.com

Tide Tables: Florida Seafood in Historic Cortez Village

 

Tucked away on the southeast end of Cortez bridge in the historic fishing village of Cortez, is Tide Tables Restaurant & Marina at marker 48. Opened in 2014 by co-owners Karen Bell from A.P Bell Fish House & Star Fish Trading Company and Bobby and Gwen Woodson who were involved with the Seafood Shack, Tide Tables is full of old Florida charm, from the crushed-shell parking area to the open-air tiki bar and picnic tables overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, boat docks and fleet of watchful pelicans.

Seated at the bar on a perfect sunny afternoon, we chose from the menu’s selection of fresh fish and seafood "that's so fresh it's barely stopped swimming." Starting with a basket of Grouper Bites served with tartar sauce and a couple of cold beers after a morning of playing golf, dining at Tide Tables is causal and friendly with remarkably good food. The fresh scallops, grouper, and mahi mahi which can be served fried, blackened or grilled, arrives on the docks of A.P. Bell each morning, and comes with homemade coleslaw and a choice of French fries, baked beans or yellow rice; the large 'Mainsail Basket' of Sea Scallops are plump and perfectly cooked; the ever popular Blackened Fish Tacos are topped with coleslaw, cheddar jack cheese and sesame ginger sauce; and the homemade Chicken and Andouille Sausage Gumbo is not to be missed. Arrive by boat or car, but get there early on a sunny day and let Jesse take care of you with a wink, a smile and a boat load of Florida charm.

Stray Dog Dock organizes boat charters and also docks fishing boats 

arriving with fresh fish for Tide Tables

Blayz from Tide Tables arrives on the dock with fresh American Red Snapper

One of the many resident Pelicans at Tide Tables

Waiting for our table, we stopped by the Tiki Bar for a cold beer

which we needed after a great morning of golf

Chalkboard with specials of the day

A cold Corona Light with a wedge of lime 

 Bobby and Gwen Woodson are co-owners of Tide Tables

Grouper Bites, lightly fried with Tide Tables seasoning and served with tartar sauce, 

are moist and delicious, made with fresh grouper

Chicken & Andouille Sausage Gumbo

Blackened Fish Tacos are topped with coleslaw, cheddar jack cheese and sesame ginger sauce

served with coleslaw and crisp french fries

Fried jumbo shrimp served with yellow rice and Cole slaw

'Mainsail Basket' of Sea Scallops are plump and perfectly cooked,

 and served with coleslaw, crisp fresh fries, or yellow rice

www.tidetablescortez.com

Indigenous: A Culinary Highlight in Sarasota

 

Chef Steven Phelps’s restaurant Indigenous is a favourite among locavores, especially for his genius with fresh fish and sustainable seafood. Phelps and his team work closely with local fisherman, artisans, and farmers to maintain the highest quality in everything they serve. The best restaurant in Sarasota, dining at Indigenous is a culinary highlight when we drive over from Longboat Key. Phelps's menu of seasonal American cuisine changes progressively throughout the year based on peak ingredient availability, but there's one dish that's always on the menu. The Wild Mushroom Bisque with truffle rye croutons. It's the chefs signature soup, and for good reason. It is quite simply the best soup I've ever tasted. Made from an earthy blend of porcini, shiitake and cremini mushrooms, there are customers who order it by the quart and have it shipped across the globe so they can enjoy it year round, and I could very well be next on that list. 

Glass of Bubbles as we perused the menu

Indigenous menu changes each week making the most of seasonal ingredients

Wild Mushroom Bisque with truffle oil and rye croutons has been on the menu 

since 2011 when Indigenous first opened

Florida Rock Shrimp and Sterling Caviar with arugula pesto, crispy parmesan grit cake, 

pickled mustard seeds and crème fraîche

Steel Trout from Snake River in Idaho, served with Congaree and Penn middlins, 

butternut squash, oyster mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and ry truffle pangrattato

Yellowfin Tuna, pole caught from North Carolina, serve with Laotian pesto, peanut vinaigrette, 

rainbow carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, romano beans, kale, cucumber, radish and wake purée

Chocolate Torte with strawberry cardamom compote and whipped vanilla cream

 The 82-year-old Sarasota cracker cottage is home to Indigenous

Chef Phelps weekly trip to the farm to stock up on vegetables and leaf greens

www.indigenoussarasota.com

Thai Green Curry Fish Dip

Serves 4-5

Recipe courtesy of chef Steve Phelps

Green Curry Paste:

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup lemongrass, chopped

1/2 cup ginger root, grated

8 cloves garlic

1 cup basil, chopped

1 cup cilantro, chopped

3 red Thai bird chiles, sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/3 cup lime juice

1/2 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

Thai Green Curry Fish Dip:

1 lb cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 tbsp green curry paste 

24 oz baked whitefish, such as grouper, snapper, halibut, or perch, chopped 

Salt and pepper

Place all of the green curry paste ingredients into a food processor and purée until as smooth as possible. Set aside.

Place the cream cheese, mayo and curry paste into a food processor. Blend until smooth and place in a mixing bowl. Stir in the baked fish, and season with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon the fish dip into a mason jar or serving bowl, with some crackers or fresh veggies.