Dixie Dining

This record, which many consider to be a classic, has just been re-released by Sony Legacy in a 2-CD set. Many music fans (and several rock critics) have long considered Dennis Wilson as nothing more than a “banger” (sub-par drummer) riding the coattails of his far more talented brothers, Brian & Carl Wilson. I must admit that I felt this way for many years.

However, this new release, and a recent TV documentary feature on its release, have caused me to re-think my position. Yes, Dennis was the only Beach Boy who surfed and he was the one who pulled all the lovely beach bunnies, but he also inherited some of the old Wilson magic for crafting interesting and appealing pop songs. I encourage you doubters to view the video via the provided Amazon.com link below. Listen to Pacific Ocean Blue from start to finish and then tell me you haven’t changed your mind to some degree. This was the first, and arguably the best, of the Beach Boy solo efforts.  

 http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m2NG0QCZGLTCZN:m1HH46YIN6H5ZM

These beautiful plants can be found all over Siesta Key. I snapped this image on the south end of Siesta Village, which is the major shopping and dining district for those of us who reside on the north end of the island.

Brought home lunch today from Miccio’s Italian Market on North Lockwood Ridge Road in Sarasota. They make their own breads, marinara, meatballs, mozzarella, and sausage. I happened to pop in just as the pepperoni rolls were coming out of the oven, so my timing couldn’t have been better. These babies are essentially a pizza sandwich, especially when you dip the rolls into the provided marinara sauce. Really good! As a thank you, they gave me a small loaf of freshly baked Italian bread which was still warm and soft to the touch. That will surely go well with dinner tonight. Can you say pasta?

We stopped by Mermaid’s Ice Cream Shop on Siesta Key after dinner last night for a little treat. Mermaid’s is one of two places in the Sarasota area that carry McClain’s Homemade Ice Cream. The other location is Ice Cream Racer in the Gulf Gate section of town. Mermaid’s only carries about 1/4 of the flavor choices that Ice Cream Racer does, but it’s more far convenient to our home and the beach. My favorite flavors are rum raisin (you can really taste the Caribbean rum) and coconut. Last night I branched out and tried the coffee crunch (coffee ice cream with Heath Bar chunks). Austin, being a card-carrying chocolate freak, ordered what is called “Gator Tracks” (vanilla ice cream riddled with fudge, brownie pieces, and Reese’s peanut butter cups). Some sprinkles (or jimmies) were added for kicks.

Travis, always attracted to the bright and shiny colors, went for the Blue Raspberry ice. I must report he did a fine job of keeping the product in his mouth and off his I LOVE DC T-shirt. That made Mom happy.  

We chatted briefly with the owner of Mermaid’s — pleasant gentleman. Sounds like he has big plans for the future. They are going to begin serving lunch as well as beer and wine. However, the focus here will likely always be ice cream … especially if they stick with McClain’s product. Yes, it’s that good.

For a listing of some of McClain’s delicious creations, we suggest you follow the link provided below:

http://icecreamracer.com/mcclain/flavors.html

Found a slew of these shells on the beach tonight. They’re called “kitten paws.” You might say they also look like mini Geisha fans … or tiny little baseball mitts. Imagine that, another baseball reference!

Grrrrrrrr, baby! Grrrrrrr!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Here are three thousand for you.