Dinner out...

To celebrate special occasions when we lived in Ft. Myers, we always headed to Vincenzo's on the bay in Bonita Springs. The food was appealing, the atmosphere serene and romantic. Now that we are living in Tarpon Springs, we've had to hunt for a new "our place". On the advise of a young waitress at The Thirsty Marlin in Palm Harbor where we stopped for lunch one day, we gave Casa de Ludivico a try.

Thank you thank you thank you young waitress. The Italian restaurant is located on Alt. 19 in Palm Harbor and is in an old house that is painted yellow. The inside is rich in wood and paintings of southern Italy. Our waitress, Celia, was amazing. She was friendly, helpful and was a native of southern Italy. Our feeble attempts with our oh so limited Italian were met with smiles. She even gave us the number of a friend who gives private Italian lessons as the language is something we have always wanted to learn.

And then there was the food. Magnifico! I had chicken that appeared to be smoked in a white wine sauce w/artichokes and asparagus. E had a veal dish that just made me want to cry it was so good. Wish I could remember the names of our dishes but I will be enjoying a last bit of mine for lunch so what is in a name anyway, right?

We were given olives in a dipping sauce the likes of which I have never had before. Celia said the closest we could get here is a calamata but I've had those and these were a thousand times more flavorful!

I was given a birthday treat for desert and we were hard pressed to even taste it let alone finish the whole thing...lots of almond and cream whatever it was and very good.

We stopped off for a toddy on our way home at the Eagle's Nest...a bar near our house we have been wanting to try. It is a nice neighborhood bar. It doesn't serve much food and, therefore, the patrons can smoke inside. E quit about four or five years ago and I have not smoked in about ten. We could sure smell the odor on our clothes when we got home and my eyes were affected while we were in there. Not sure how often we'll be going back despite how nice it was.