A Delicious Deal

We’ve been going to Gold Rush BBQ in Venice since my daughter, Lindsay, was a baby. From a very young age, she would dig into whatever kind of sampler plate we made up for her from our meals, feasting on chopped barbecue pork, green beans, barbecue beans, and melt-in-your-mouth cornbread. She’s now graduated to choosing for herself off of the kids’ menu, but she still always includes the green beans in her order.

Gold Rush is an ideal spot for kids. The opposite of formal and stuffy, the restaurant’s always humming with activity—bustling servers, customers coming in and out—which helps drown out crying, whining, or a stray shout here and there. There’s lots to look at in the dining room that’s done up like a gold miner’s shack, everything from lanterns and canteens to a faux flickering campfire. It’s a game of “I Spy” just waiting to happen. And all of the meals are served in metal mining tins, which means that Junior won’t break anything if he “accidentally” throws his plate on the floor.

Available for diners ages 12 and under, the kids’ menu features old standards like a burger, hot dog, and chicken nuggets along with options like chopped barbecue beef and a quarter rack of baby back ribs. Everything comes with one side dish; choices include applesauce, corn on the cob, cucumber salad, and the aforementioned green and barbecue beans. Expect a kids’ meal to ring in at $3.99, except for the pricier ribs, which will run you $5.99.

Unless you visit Gold Rush on a Monday from May to October. During that time frame, kids eat for free on Mondays. Here’s how it works: With the purchase of adult entrées, up to two kids per table can dine at no charge. Any additional kids eat for just $2 each. Face painting and a bike giveaway add to the family fun.

After devouring a platter loaded with tender barbecued meat, two sides, and a sublime square of cornbread, grown-up diners might not find a meal at Gold Rush to be easy on the waistline. But for families who visit on a Monday, the dining experience will definitely be easy on the wallet.

Pier-ing into the Past

It felt a little as if I were walking the plank, as we ventured out onto the Anna Maria City Pier. The structure became more rickety the farther out we went. And with no railings in sight and at just about a foot or two above the turquoise waters of Tampa Bay, it felt like someone could have tumbled off at any time. Luckily, I kept my footing, and I’m blessed with a kiddo who stayed a safe distance from the edge.
 

The pier dates from 1911 and originally welcomed visitors to Anna Maria Island who arrived by steamship. It was co-commissioned by Charles Roser, who’s credited by some for having developed the recipe or baking process for the Fig Newton cookie.

Today, you won’t see any paddlewheelers pulling up to the pier. Instead, it’s a prime spot for sightseeing and fishing. Those who make it to the end of the 776-foot-long protrusion are rewarded with sweeping views of Tampa Bay and of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge arching over the water. The white dome of Tropicana Field can be spotted in the distance, along with downtown St. Petersburg.

If staring at the vista works up an appetite, the City Pier Restaurant occupies prime real estate at the end of the pier. Not surprisingly, its menu features plenty of seafood dishes, from chowder and fish sandwiches to fried shrimp and blackened grouper.

If you’ve got a runaway toddler or a let-me-just-see-if-I-can-touch-the-water type of kid, the Anna Maria City Pier might lead to more anxiety than relaxation. But if you’ve got a safety-conscious kiddo, or one on which you can keep a firm grip, a stroll on the pier helps bring a little of the area’s past alive. And in looking at the view, it’s easy to understand why folks hopped aboard those steamships en route to the island.

A Sweet Spot

One trait my daughter and I share is a major sweet tooth. So we were both thrilled to get the opportunity to visit the Sarasota Cupcake Company recently.

Located on Sarasota's St. Armands Circle, the shop occupies a colorful spot with rainbow stripes on the wall, groovy light fixtures hanging over the counter, and some seriously pretty photographs of its products hanging throughout the space. Flavors change daily but might include combinations like chocolate mint, caramel apple, and orange passion fruit.

The cupcakes cost $4 each, but they’re definitely big enough to split or to save half for later, if you can control yourself. Lindsay clearly couldn’t when her choice of red velvet was put in front of her.

I had the shop’s version of a Hostess cupcake; its chocolate ganache, creamy filling, and moist chocolate cake far surpassed the original. And no, I didn’t save any for later. Which just gives us an excuse to pay the Sarasota Cupcake Company another visit!

Shellfish by the Sea

Happy National Shrimp Day! In honor of this illustrious holiday, I’m highlighting the place where my daughter Lindsay recently made her first restaurant order of a kids’ helping of fried shrimp. The setting was Crabby Bill’s Seafood Restaurant in St. Pete Beach, a casual, two-level spot that sits along the Gulf of Mexico. We were sitting under an umbrella at a rooftop table, still in our bathing suits from the shelling cruise we’d taken that morning out of nearby Pass-a-Grille. The sun was shining, a breeze was blowing, and the beach views made a perfect backdrop for our meal.

I had narrowed in on the Fried Popcorn Shrimp ($9.99) when Lindsay announced she was doing the same. She eats shrimp at home and isn’t what I would call a picky eater, but at restaurants she often sticks to her staples of grilled cheese, chicken fingers, and mac and cheese. So my husband and I applauded the fact that she was branching out, and she seemed pleased by her very reasonably priced meal ($4.99), which came with one side dish, a soft drink, and a package of Oreos for dessert.

Maybe it was the beachfront setting or the appetites that we had worked up while searching for shells, but that lunch hit the spot for all of us that day. Crabby Bill’s isn’t anything fancy, but its rooftop dining area is a fine place to enjoy a little seafood just steps from the sea.

An Easy Escape

Tommy Bahama’s Restaurant & Bar on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota might not immediately pop to mind when thinking of kid-friendly dining. But it’s actually more accommodating of the pint-sized set than you might imagine.

On our first visit there several years ago, we rolled up with our daughter still in her stroller and were warmly welcomed, wheels and all, to a table. We’ve been back several times since and the reception’s been the same.

With its walls done up in soothing shades of green and yellow and ceiling fans spinning lazily overhead, the upstairs dining room at the restaurant exudes a relaxed, tropical atmosphere. For mom and dad, that mellow mood can be heightened with a mai tai or mojito served alongside dishes like blackened fish tacos or a Cuban sandwich.

Little ones aren’t an afterthought here, with kids’ menu offerings ranging from steak medallions and mini cheeseburgers to a grilled chicken salad. Lindsay went for the chicken quesadillas, which came with fries and a little paper umbrella typically found adorning a fruity cocktail. Her drink arrived with a plastic swordfish in it.

Toward the end of our meal, our server asked Lindsay what her favorite color was, and Lindsay gave her usual response—pink, purple, orange, red, blue… A few minutes later, the server came back with five more paper umbrellas in a variety of hues that Lindsay could take home to use with her dolls.

But here’s the thing: The island vibe and friendly service will cost you. The kids’ menu doesn’t even list prices, so diners need to either ask or wait to be surprised when the bill arrives. Lindsay’s chicken quesadillas rang in at $8; the milk was another $3.25.

So we save Tommy Bahama’s for times when we really need to experience that feeling of getting away from it all. It’s something of an indulgence, but it’s definitely a whole lot cheaper than buying a plane ticket to a tropical isle. 

Home Away from Home

I recently took my daughter to my former hometown of Walpole, Massachusetts, to see my grandmother and aunt. And during that wonderful family visit, we got to spend some time at one of Walpole’s greatest natural assets, Francis William Bird Park.

I’ve always loved this park, with its wide open green spaces, ponds, and bridges that span gurgling brooks. More than three miles of paths meander through the site, which is home to red maple, white pine, white and northern red oak, and yellow birch trees. I attended day camp here as a youngster, tried (and failed) to perfect my forehand on its tennis courts, and even had my engagement pictures taken at the park.  

On this most recent visit, Lindsay had a ball in the new playground area, which proved a major improvement on the old-school equipment found at the park during my childhood. She hopped onto the outdoor stage, once slightly rundown but now nicely renovated and used for concerts and other events. She admired the flowering trees, lush lawns, and little waterfalls she encountered during her exploration.

In addition to soaking in the scenery, I learned of the park’s connection to my current hometown of Venice, Florida. Both the city of Venice and Francis William Bird Park were designed by city planner John Nolen, a disciple of Frederick Law Olmsted. Bird Park was created and endowed in 1925 by local industrialist Charles Sumner Bird Sr. and his wife in memory of their oldest son, Francis William. Nolen’s network of paths and waterways were designed to help easily connect the public with the natural surroundings.

In 1926, Nolen would complete his plan for the city of Venice, a plan that would include plenty of parks and other green space still prized by residents of Venice today. In fact, one of my daughter’s favorite playgrounds in Venice is at the city’s John Nolen Park. As she skipped through Bird Park, she may not have realized the connection, but I was struck by how lucky I was to have lived in two places that benefited from Nolen’s vision.