Red Mesa on Fourth: One Fine Table

Finally finished all my NYC posts and I am back on Tampa turf.  Shortly after my trip, Sister Foodie came to town.  Well, you know we've had some disappointing meals in the ol' Bay area.  On a mission to break this losing streak, I took her across the Howard Frankland to Red Mesa in St. Pete. 

I had never been to this Fourth Street Mexican eatery but had heard good things.  A little background check revealed this restaurant has two locations.  Although the newer downtown St. Pete cantina looks more colorful, with its lively outdoor courtyard and spiffy Latin-influenced interior, I heard the food is solid at the original.  It was.

We ordered a couple of Dos Equis and asked the waitress if the calamari was fresh.  After the Irish calamari calamity in New York, I wasn't taking any chances on freezer squid.  She said it wasn't frozen, so we ventured in that direction. 




Calamari Frito

Coated in a light, tasty batter, the Calamari Frito was tender and tasted fresh.  The two dipping sauces that came with it -- one a habanero and the other a chipotle chili aioli --  provided a welcome Mexican spin and a break from the usual squirt of lemon. The habanero mixture was a sinus-draining concoction that Sister F. and I loved.  The smokey aioli was good, too.

For the lunch mains, Sister selected a burrito and I stuck with the seafood theme with Shrimp Salteado.  This Mexican plate was a mouthwatering preparation of sauteed shrimp with rajas (a saute of chiles and onions), Spanish chorizo, tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes, all cooked with a splash of sherry and finished with pasilla chile sauce.  Thanks to the diverse population living in the Tampa area, I count my lucky stars for having the good fortune to discover this type of authentic Mexican cuisine.  I doubt whether I'll ever be able to stomach Tex-Mex again.  Chock-full of spicy sausage flavor, mild chile heat, a fresh collaboration of vegetables and succulent shrimp, this dish was fantastic.  The saute was accompanied by a satisfying helping of black beans and rice.

As she devoured an enormous, flavor-packed burrito (also plated with black beans and rice), Sister Foodie forgot our poor history of Bay-area dining.  Mission accomplished.

Red Mesa would be a welcome addition to any neighborhood; I wish it would cross the bay to mine.  This location features a comfortable, casual atmosphere.  Two connected dining rooms offer booth or table seating and a small bar is available, too.  The prices are totally affordable and the weighty lunch and dinner menus would keep me coming back for eons.  Due to my New Tampa location, I won't be visiting as often as I'd like, but this restaurant's dizzying selection of soups, salads, appetizers, Mexican plates, burritos, enchiladas, tacos, wraps, sandwiches and house specialties will definitely lure me across the HF more often.  I can't wait to try the dinner menu, which is equally tempting and more refined than burritos and enchiladas. 

Verdict:  Ole! 

http://www.redmesarestaurant.com/welcome.html

Totally Tasty Find: Beignets at Nola Cafe

My daughter is home from college this week, on break between summer and fall semesters at the recently ranked No. 1 party school in the nation, University of Georgia.  With that kind of parental-pride-inducing competition (insert collective sigh here from parents, administration and academia), we try to show her a good time when she visits dear old Mom and Dad in Tampa. 

What better way to entertain your partying coed than to take her to a museum!  No, really.  She appreciates art, and since none of us had ever been to the Salvador Dali Museum, we went to St. Petersburg Tuesday to check it out.   A fascinating collection, even if Dali is not your artistic cup of tea, it's located in the happening heart of St. Pete.  If you know St. Pete, you know that "happening" is a stretch, but at least it is situated in an area of town near the water, the pier, and an assortment of shops and restaurants.  After touring destination Dali, we wandered over to the waterfront, Beach Drive specifically, and stumbled upon Nola Cafe.

It was about 3 p.m., an off time in the restaurant world and, as expected, the place - located in Parkshore Plaza among other eateries and shops - had a single diner reading a newspaper.  A smiling server, probably the manager, and the only employee I saw besides a cook who wandered outside for a break, told us to choose any table and then came to greet us and take drink orders.

A cursory glance revealed an inviting coffee shop atmosphere, roomier than most, with an L-shaped bar available for diners who opt for counter service or for a front-row seat to view the plasma television.  The environs are warm, the chairs are comfy, and a New Orleans theme is reflected in the music, menu and cans of Cafe du Monde coffee and a few other food-related items exhibited for sale.

Listed on a chalkboard near the coffee bar were the day's specials, which included vanilla French toast, catfish po' boy and lobster bisque.  Among Big Easy favorites on the lunch and dinner menu are jambalaya, po' boy sandwiches, gumbo, and red beans and rice.  Sandwich wraps, soups and salads are also available. 

Since my philosophy is to stick with the restaurant's theme, I ordered a bowl of chicken and andouille gumbo.  Mostly andouille sausage cut into a small dice, the gumbo was flavorful with a dark roux and a pleasant, smokey heat, but contained only one strip of chicken along with scant white rice.   For $9.99, it wasn't exactly a meal.

A few puny slices of unremarkable baguette were shared among us.  Dieting Hubmeister had a lackluster house salad, comprised solely of lettuce, tomatoes, and croutons.  The grilled chicken topper he added to it didn't help this lame effort, which was so boring it came with bottles of oil and vinegar. 

My daughter chose the lobster bisque, which she lapped up, and my son had a roast beef po' boy, the most impressive-looking plate on the table.  Juicy, shredded roast beef was served on a long French roll with an accompanying romaine lettuce-based salad.  The beef was topped with fresh diced tomatoes, the bread smeared with mayo. 

What we ordered next were the highlights of this late lunch, and appropriately enough, they are highlighted in a box on the menu.  Somebody once said always order the dish the restaurant puts in a big box on the menu because that's the item the restaurant is most proud of.  Makes sense, doesn't it?  If it's something I like I'll order it, and in this case it was not a problem to order:  drum roll, please...beignets.
 

Cafe au lait and beignets are worth a visit to Nola's in Tampa or St. Pete.

We shared an order consisting of three fluffy fried pillows of dough covered in a blizzard of powdered sugar.  Straight from the fryer and into our mouths, those, and the cafe au lait chaser - half chicory coffee and half hot milk - were a scrumptious combination. 

When I asked our friendly server what coffees they offered and she answered, "Everything, because we are mainly a coffee shop," I did a mental head slap.  A more attentive look at the menu indicated a lengthy list of coffee drinks.  Hello!

Nola's is okay for a sandwich or bowl of soup, but the real reason to stop in is for coffee and beignets. 

Restaurant Info:
Nola Cafe & News Stand
300 E. Beach Drive N.
St. Petersburg, FL
727-498-8978
http://www.nolacafe.com/

Also:
301 W. Platt St. #C
Tampa, FL
813-258-8778