Anna Maria Island Trip Reprt (Spring Break)
 

Day #1 Travel Day
Indy direct to Tampa on Northwest was an easy stressfree flight experience. Although it was the first day of spring break and the lines were long at check in, there were plenty of agents and the lines kept moving. Going through security for Northwest was a piece of cake as they board from a concourse where they may be the only airline. We pulled away from the gate on time and landed on time. Rented a minivan from Avis in minutes while the Budget line was very long so our good luck at the airport held up on both ends.

On the drive to Anna Maria Island we took a detour to check out a home on Indian Rocks Beach (between Clearwater and St. Pete) that I want to rent next April. Then we stopped for lunch at Crabby Bill's on the rec of a friend. Basic old seafood restaurant atmosphere and menu. Most of the seafood was a little overcooked- fish not flaky, shrimp a little rubbery. Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownie pie was awesome. Silky smooth.

The house we've rented is located on Bradentown Beach and is walking distance to Bridge Street and many area restaurants. We are about a hundred feet from the surf and enjoy watching the walkers in the morning and the dolphins and sunset in the evenings. The website pictures don't do the place justice. The view is perfect.
http://www.mikenormanrealtyfl.com/3_...rch&pos=25

We rented a 2 person kayak for the week ($150 including life jackets and delivery) from Stray Cat rentals which is located just across the Cortez Bridge. We like getting out on a kayak in the mornings when curious dolphins swim all around our kayak.

Dinner our first night was at The Sun House Restaurant & Bar. We sat in the bar (teenagers included so I guess kids are allowed in bars in Florida) watching the basketball tourney until a table was available about 15 minutes later. Large groups of adults were at most tables. In addition to my two teens I saw only one other child.

The French onion soup made with Vidalia onions and covered with three kinds of cheese was a nice start. The appetizer the whole family shared and loved was the Sun House Salsa and Chips made with well spiced boniata, plaintain, malanga, and yucca chips served with mango, papaya, avacado, and pico de gallo salsa.

Our entrees were equally nice BUT it took an hour for them to come out (although those around us were seated after us and were eating desserts before we got our dinners). We were more tired than hungry by the time they arrived so we picked at them then got them boxed to go.

I would only go back to the Sun House for an early dinner when it is less crowded. When the restaurant was full it was incredibly loud. Nothing to absorb the sound and as people drank more they got louder and louder. There were people screaming and laughing at three different tables nearby.

After all the concern about red tide, no evidence of it whatsoever on the beach in front of our house.

Day #2 Boating the Intercoastal Waterway
We rented a pontoon boat, again renting from Stray Dog (I said Stray Cat in my first post)rentals. $220 + tax & gas for a boat that seats 10 for 8 hours.

We enjoyed the dolphins near Beer Can Island between Longboat and Anna Maria Island. We also enjoyed getting out in the water near Jewfish Key. The water was about 3 feet deep in many places in the intercoastal so we jumped out into the water and waded about during the day. We docked for a snack at Moore's and enjoyed their coconut shrimp.

In the evening we ate at Banana Cabana just north of Bridge Street on Anna Maria Island. We had one of the best meals we've had in the area. I had the mango stuffed, macadamia encrusted grouper which was wonderful and large enough that I only ate half. I believe the mango stuffing also has crabmeat in it. My son had a rack of ribs that were marinated with Caribbean jerk spices and then basted in bbq sauce. My other son's fried grouper and fries were well spiced. We finished up with Big Olaf ice cream next door.

Hi. Nice report. I don't know why people recommend Crabby Bill's at Indian Rocks. It is not very good.

Can you tell me what dates you were at the beach? I'm curious about the red tide situation. That's odd that it is so present in Longboat but not in Anna Maria.

We enjoyed Banana cabana too, excellent choice! Keep going....

Hey T-Girl, I'm looking at the beach as I type. We got here on Sat. March 26 and we are here until this Saturday. No evidence of red tide although I saw two dead fish on beer Can Island on the north end of Longboat.

joan- Can't believe we've never tried Banana Cabana before. I am all about small independents but we've never gone there. Its the first place I'm tempted to go back to on the same vacation.

Day #3- Driven to Shots of Tequila
Time for DS and I to complete our Open Water Diver Certification by completing our first two (of four)dives. Found scuba instructor Jeff Severino online and am hoping for the best. The water is too rough at the beach so we are traveling inland to Lake Denton at Avon Park where there is a springfed lake.

Just before we leave I try on the wetsuit I've rented from Seatrek at Bradenton Beach. &*^%$#!!! The zipper is broken. I have my own 3 mil wetsuit but the water is so cold I wanted a 6 mil suit so I am comfortable.

We are to meet Jeff at Cracker Barrel in Bradenton and for some reason I assume it is just over the Cortez Bridge. Uhhh...wrong.... we end up meeting him 25 mnutes late. Great start to the day.

I enjoy the trip to the middle of the state, taking in cattle and trees snapped by the hurricane. Jeff is a chef by trade who has been in Florida for 6 years. He and his wife got married underwater in Key Largo and he has fun stories.

Lake Denton diving is good. The visibility is good and the fish are used to being fed by divers so they followed us around all morning. Jeff is a great instructor, very patient and calm.

When we arrive "home", the in laws are visiting from Sarasota. My father-in-law has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and I am not very nice to him because I can't deal with the fact that he won't do anything for the disorder but we all do okay. We call ahead to Beach House Restaurant which is walking distance from our house so we expect to wait about half an hour for a table.

Husband and inlaws go ahead to the restaurant while I get dolled up, skirt and 4" heels (cause my husband loves them). He calls and says we are going to get a table in five minutes so I drop my friend that I've brought with us at the front door (she has cerebral palsy and has trouble walking). The parking lot is full so I park at a public lot two blocks away and jog to the restaurant in my heels.

We stand for another 45 minutes waiting for our table among screaming sunburnt children, me shifting from foot to foot in my lovely heels. Finally, my husband goes to the hostess stand and discovers that they supposedly paged us a long time before. Our little pager never went off.

Don't know why we bother with Sand Bar, Mar Vista, or Beach House (all owned by same family). I swear this is the last time. I don't understand the attraction. The menus are basic, the wait is long, the only thing they've got going for them is a spectacular view. The food was okay, rather unremarkable although we had friendly service.

Kicker for the day...I sit down at our table after 45 minutes of waiting in the lobby area and feel a bump under me. Oh yeah, the little round tag that stores put on clothes to be sure no one shoplifts is STILL ON MY SKIRT. And I thought the people were staring because my skirt is so cute!!! Start the Patron Tequila and keep it coming. Hope I feel okay for scuba diving tomorrow...

Day #4 Another Day In Paradise
Scuba in the morning in Avon Park followed by a lazy afternoon on the beach. Although it is spring break week there are no crowds on the beach where we are staying.

Our "home" is among a group of seven homes surrounded by empty lots on either end so there are not alot of people on the beach in front of our home although the public beach parking lot at Holmes Beach was full when we drove past.

We went to The Hayeloft at Euphemia Haye Restaurant on Longboat Key for dinner. Euphemia Haye's entrees are typically $29-32 but the Hayeloft (upstairs) has small plates for sharing, pizzas, salads, and a select number of entrees from the restaurant. The real draw at the Hayeloft is the amazing selection of desserts made on the premises.

Our table was directly in front of the dessert bar where we gazed upon monstrous pies, cakes, brownies, creme brulee all evening. As diners finish downstairs at Euphemia Haye they move up to the dessert room where a hostess points out each dessert so we became quite familiar with the choices before it was time for our table to chose desserts.

For dinner I had smoked salmon on buckwheat crepes accompanied by two types of caviar, a dollop of sour cream, red onions and capers. Both boys had cheese pizza with a very thin crust, my friend had an appetizer shrimp dish with a honey mustard sauce, and my DH had a wonderful carbonara evening special. All of us were very happy with our selections.

For dessert DH had New York cheesecake, I had a peanut butter mouse pie covered with dark chocolate sauce, the boys had white chocolate vanilla bean creme brulee and my friend had a slice of berry pie. The only letdown among the desserts was the creme brulee which was too sweet and somewhat grainy.

The Hayeloft doesn't take reservations for dinner and opens at 6pm. Diners at Euphemia Haye can make a reservation for a dessert table at the Hayeloft.

Day #5 Kites and Kayaks
Great day on the beach for kite flying. We have a Red Baron biplane kite that is easy to fly and looks cool in the sky.

Not such a good day for kayaking. The waves were fairly large and we had to aim the kayak out into the ocean to counter the waves which made me nervous. Irrational fears after seeing news coverage of 100 sharks schooling in Deerfield Beach area. We ended up tipping with DH losing his favorite Rudy Project sunglasses. He left them in a hotel bar in the south of France last summer and was able to track them down and have them sent to him. I guess their gone for good this time. At least I know what to get him for his birthday this year. I'm sure we looked hilarious tipping over and me clawing my way back onto the kayak within .08 seconds. Then the kayak nearly tipped again as DH climbed back on.

Dinner was just the two of us at Beach Bistro in the Holmes Beach area of the island. It is a very small, intimate restaurant of about 15 tables tucked into a well kept old style motel on the beach. Good service, nice atmosphere, interesting menu.

We started with the Lobsterscargots- chunks of spiny lobster baked with spinach and garlic butter. When we were done with the lobster, we dipped our bread in the remaining garlicky butter. Yum! We were also presented with a taste of creamy tomato soup topped with a sprinkling of blue cheese.

DH's beef tenderloin with bernaise and hunter's sauces was fantastic. A very high grade of beef well prepared. He asked for it medium but it was very pink, what I would consider medium rare in most restaurants. It was tender and flavorful.

I had my heart set on Food Heaven, a dish I spied on the restaurant's website. Iowa lamb, Main lobster and Hudson Valley foie gras on a brioche of bread pudding with balsamic reduction, nutmeg anglaise, and a sauternes reduction. A port rosemary demi glace was poured over the lamb when served and a shot of cognac was served alongside. Crazy good, especially the lamb. We finished with Bananas Tropical Foster- bananas and mangos flambed with rum & banana liqueur over French Vanilla ice cream.

We ended the evening at Baby Blues tattoo parlor about ten minutes off the island for a tattoo to commemorate the completion of my diving certification. I got a small shark on the small of my back. Pretty pain free after the bottle of wine and shot of cognac at dinner.

amwosu, I believe this is the first fodor's post in which the poster admitted to getting a tatoo on a vacation! You had better luck than I on my deep-dive. I hemoraged my outer ear. Then on my 2nd attempt I got three flat tires on my trek to W. Palm Beach, and decided that someone was sending me a msg. So I did everything except my deep dive.

I canoed once in a river with alligators on the banks and my stupid boyfriend tipped us over. It was scarey.

I'm enjoying your trip and am vacationing vicariously.

Hi amwosu,
I am headed down to Anna Maria on Sunday.

I have a reservation at BeachBistro, but The only info I have about them is a high Zagat's food #, how is the service?
Where did you see those dishes, on the BeachBistro website?

Enjoy the rest of your trip,I hope the weather holds.

Is there anything new about the RED TIDE?
Thanks

The service at Beach Bistro is attentive but not hovering. More French style of not bothering you while you're eating but readily available. I haven't looked at the website for awhile so I'm not sure about the menu items. I'm sharing the laptop with my sons on vacation so I may not get a chance to look at it tonight.

Red tide seems a thing of the past for Anna Maria Island. At the beginning of the week several people told me it was in the area two weeks ago.

If you go to the "Culinary Arts" section of the Beach Bistro website you will see a picture and description of the Lobsterscargot and one of the lamb dishes. I guess I must have read about "Food Heaven" in an article about the restaurant...

Day #6 Side Trip to Arcadia
Had to run to Arcadia to see my parents and all the great aunts and uncles who've lived in Arcadia for the past 50 years. I'd have to say I don't see many changes there.

On the way back to the island we drove to Sarasota for the annual dinner at Philippi Creek. The magic time is 5pm. Arrive after that and you're in for a wait. At least they've got beer and oysters on the half shell to enjoy while waiting for a table. Our food was good and the service was fast. The best of the old fashioned seafood joints in my opinion.

Day #7 Real Estate Sticker Shock
I always like to wander around Anna Maria Island imagining owning a place. It doesn't appeal to DH- too humid, not enough cycling opportunities, and maybe a tad too close to his parents. But he indulges my fantasy of owning on the island by touring around looking at lots, condos, houses.

I had read that Sarasota area real estate had jumped by as much as 40% in the past 1-2 years but was truly amazed at asking prices. We spotted a dump (begging to be torn down) across the street from the gulf on the north end and it was $950K. I was expecting $600K at most. The gulf front lots that used to be $1mil are now over $2mil.

DH and I took a loooong walk on the beach in the afternoon discussing our winter vacation as we strolled. I just love how uncrowded the beaches are on Anna Maria Island (public beach areas may be another story but we don't go there).

We finished the day with dinner at Bonefish. I'm not one to go to a chain when I can go to a local place I can't normally visit. However, my friend who came along with us wanted to go to Bonefish. She doesn't drive and is always at the mercy of her mother and sister as to where they eat out. Bonefish is her favorite so Bonefish it was. We found a Bonefish in Bradenton across the Cortez Bridge about ten minutes.

I always start with the chopped salad with Kalamata olives, pine nuts, and a nicely sweet oil and vinegar dressing. I also ask for the addition of capers on the salad.

I don't usually eat bread but I enjoy BF's sourdough bread and the dipping oil that has a slightly spicy kick to it. For dinner, I get the bang bang shrimp appetizer which I can hardly finish. Quite a deal for $7.90. We skipped dessert thinking we'd eat a crepe at the creperie on Bridge St. but there was no parking in the area and there were several people waiting outside for a table so we decided we didn't need dessert afterall.

Hi amwosu
Well, we just got back from AMI last night, and we loved it.
Ate at the Bistro, I wasn't very impressed, I guess I was expecting "high end" food quality, as the prices would certainly suggest. We paid $300 w/a bottle of Puligny Montrachet ($75)
We had the Tomato soup......so/so
"Pas de Duex".........really great
Food Heaven.........a $50 entree should be better than this, the Hudson Valley goose liver was as hard as a rock.


We ate really well after the Bistro meal by just eating at local "dives"
the Cortez kitchen had great fish, as did the rod and reel. we had a passable lunch at Sandbar, but a really great piece of fish and steamed broccoli for dinner.
Had a dinner at Sign of the Mermaid,
that was unremarkable.
Sandbar lunch.....15.00
Sandbar dinner.....52.00 w/beers
Cortez kitchen lunch.....14.oo
Rod & reel lunch.........21.00 w beers
Sign O' the Mermaid dinner...160.00 w cocktails.

We stayed at the Huth House on the beach in Holmes Beach, a truly wonderful place.

I loved the island's charm, very quiet and laid back.

cyberUK- Glad you loved AMI. Sorry Beach Bistro didn't do it for you. I had better luck with the fois gras. Mine was sooooo good. Maybe I set your expectations too high. I don't mean to make it seem on the level of high end Paris, London, NYC, Chicago eateries. But out on a little key I think it is pretty good.

Remind me where Cortez Kitchen is located. I remember seeing it but didn't eat there.

On our last morning we had a great breakfast at Cortez Cafe on the mainland side of the Cortez Bridge. The menu said they've been in business for 50 years. Really good hash browns and even though packed with locals and tourists alike our food came out quick.

Turn left at the light from Gulf onto Cortez road (turn right and you'll get wet!)just down the cortez road a bit, before the bridge. The turn off is on the right, small blue sign shows the way.
There is a fish market and dock there, the kitchen is just on the right side as you pull into the parking lot.

I think that I was unfairly expecting more from the Bistro. I had no right to compare (in my mind) it with top restaurants anywhere else. The Zagats 27 conjured up other 27's that I was remembering.
I was on the beach for goodness sake.

Finding a restaurant of their caliber on a beach, is rather unusual.

I shouldn't be eating Fois Gras anyway.
Thanks for the recommendation, amwosu

I knew Cortez Kitchen rang a bell. Now that you've described the location I remember eating there two years ago. The Cortez Cafe where we had lunch is just before you turn to get th the Kitchen.

So, do you think you'll return to AMI or are there too many other places to see to make a repeat trip?

I would certainly return, I loved the feel of the area, and the room we had at the Harrington/Huth house was perfect.
It was a really spur of the moment thing, I came up with the idea on Wednesday, booked my airfare on tThursday, and was sitting on the beach on Sunday.
Those kinds of trips are my favorites, I don't have enough time to overthink, or overplan.
I baked in the glorious Florida sun, and read my Fodor's France 2005, ate a few meals drank a few bottles of wine, what could be so bad?

I am leaving in for France in about 7 weeks, and I am feeling pressed about making the right reservations.

I need another vacation!

cyberUK- try www.vrbo.com/31087

Stayed there for a week last summer with my 14 yr old son and loved it! I envy your trip to France. I was there for a month last summer chasing Lance around on my bike. Actually, I was there ahead of Lance, riding my bike on the route each day. If you're interested you can see pics at www.mrswalkergoestofrance.blogspot.com

Rereading this I realize you meant dinner reservations not hotel accomadations. Good luck there. That is one huge town full of food. I did like Marty's for lunch. It's been there since 1914 oe something like that. No other tourists in the place. Just businessmen and older ladies enjoying two hour lunches. Nice atmosphere.

I think I gained five pounds reading your trip report, amwosu! I also took a peek at your pictures -- just fabulous! My youngest son wants to cycle from our home to Toronto this summer -- don't know if he'll end up doing it, but he sure has been driving me crazy with his *planning*. He's a big Lance fan :)

I went from 124 to 140 over the course of the month even though I walked miles and miles in Paris and then rode my bike in the Pyrenees and Alps. Kronenberg 1664 beer was my biggest downfall!