Surf Lodge Come Hither!

Now that Tampa's weather is finally bearable for outdoor drinks & dining without feeling that line of sweat roll down your back or having your legs stick to the chairs I keep wishing we had more chill, but trendy outdoor spots to go to.  I think it's strange that we're surrounded by water, but there really aren't that many cool restaurants or bars on the water. 

There's Rocky Point which includes: Bahama Breeze (I wore this place out my first year in Tampa.  My roommate & I lived .2 miles from door to door so needless to say they knew us at the bar.  And I really can't take all that much "Bahama" music anymore.), Whiskey Joe's (fun with live music on the weekends), Charter House (haven't been, but really have only heard they have a good Sunday brunch so scratch night life and happy hour), and Crabby Bills (very relaxed, not trendy).  Then there's Jackson's Bistro on Harbor Island.  Again, great Sunday brunch, but the crowd on weekend nights is not my style anymore.  I prefer my dresses to come more than 2 inches lower than my rear so I don't fit the dress code there.  Cafe Dufrain, also Harbor Island, is cool for a relaxing lunch; a place we take guests on a Sunday afternoon.  There's Ricks on the River, but be prepared for a lot of bikers, bar food, and tattoos.  Malios's is on Hillsborough River and I do really like this venue.  Delicious food, locally owned, beautiful scenery.  However it can turn pricey fairly quickly.

What I keep yearning for is The Surf Lodge. 

This was one of my favorite places we grabbed drinks at over our summer vacation in The Hamptons.  The Surf Lodge is located on Fort Pond in Montauk, which is the east end of Long Island and considered the un-Hampton.  You can walk in straight from the beach in flip-flops and cover-ups (even though many of the women's cover-ups there are more expensive than my work clothes - Tory Burch, Catherine Malandrino, Missoni, you catch my drift).  The executive chef is Sam Talbot, a semi-finalist on Season 2 of Top Chef.  He even came out to horseplay with some of the patrons when we were there - very nice!  Cute, tall, dark features, cooks...hmmm, sounds like my husb :).  I think we should open a restaurant on the water with a cool surfer vibe to it.  (I get told 'no' when I bring this up.  "Not in this economy."  So tired of "this economy.") 

Any who....back to dreaming of the gorgeous view, tasty food, and fab decorating of The Surf Lodge.  The interior/exterior is a whole other story.  So perfect!!  It wasn't overly beachy (can't stand that!  Just because people live near the water doesn't mean they need a starfish shower curtain, sand dollar soap, and shells as paper weights everywhere); using the perfect color palette for the environment, low wicker chairs sitting around bonfire pits, picnic tables for dining....ahhh, I could go on & on.  The Surf Lodge also books great musicians.  Check out the concert series if you look at the website. 

Don't we need one in Tampa?