Spring Break Eats -- Good, Bad and Ugly

Having spent a mere 4 "Spring break" days in the Tampa Bay area, I still managed to gain a few pounds thanks to too many cocktails, not enough exercise and plenty of caloric indulgences.

The best food I had, though, turned out to be breakfast or brunch dishes. Here are some of the highlights.

An omelet at a waterside restaurant in the touristy town of John's Pass (top photo) hit the spot. It was loaded with veggies -- broccoli, spinach and mushrooms -- and as you can see, covered with cheddar cheese. The biscuit that came with it was very nice, and I asked for orange slices rather than home fries. Still, this was a brunch that added to my "bad girl" eating binge.

The frittata (middle photo) was from Fresca, a place that had great sangria. This smoked salmon frittata was overcooked, however. But the management took it off our bill, which was nice.

Probably my favorite breakfast was at my hotel, the Don Cesar Resort, on St. Pete Beach. The melon with berries was not only beautifully presented but also sweet, fresh and delicious. After that, I had a toasted whole wheat bagel with smoked salmon. I only ate half the bagel, and skipped lunch that day, but still: fat city!

So the good was everything but the frittata (which was bad); good also were the fine cocktails and glasses of wine around town -- except for a too sweet sangria at an otherwise delightful restaurant in St Pete called Seviche. That was bad, too. And the ugly? That would be my stomach after all this indulgence. :-)

I've also posted a couple of shots of the Don Cesar resort, quite a lovely place.