Pretzel or Cat ... the age old conundrum. A tale of three tunas.

I was testing my iPhone picture texting with a friend the other day.  I asked her if I should text her a picture of a pretzel or a cat.  My friend, a great devotee of the bread product, replied "Pretzel."  She answered very quickly - either so certain in her love of bread products or so certain in her hate of cats that no additional time was necessary to muse over the "Pretzel or cat?" question.

So I put it to you dear blog reader ... Pretzel or cat?

or ...

I trust, dear blog reader, that you will make the right decision.

Right?

That gorgeous pretzel with an incredible stone ground mustard dipping sauce is from Taps Beer and Wine Merchants in Tampa, Florida.  Not only does Taps look out on the beautiful Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park (well done, City of Tampa!), but it has a wide array of delicious nibbles.

True story - about 7 years ago I came down with a nasty case of food poisoning which I attributed to a piece of salmon from an Irish pub in New York City.  What on earth I was doing ordering salmon steak in an Irish pub is beyond me and I only have several rounds of Guinness to blame.  Ever since then I cannot eat salmon as just the smell would make me queasy, which was a tremendous loss because I used to eat salmon quite frequently.  And in the battle of the bulge, losing a low fat, lower calorie entree option was just plain wrong!  But I am happy to report that during an outing with a dining companion- we decided to split appetizers.  She chose the smoked salmon shown below.  Instead of making wretching noises and protesting against it, I did something revolutionary.  I tried the smoked salmon.  It was delicious.  My great salmon embargo was over.  Viva la salmon!  And honestly, can one truly ever say no to smoked salmon when it is garnished with caperberries?  I think not!  Well done Taps Beer and Wine Merchants!  You have cured me of my salmon queasiness!

Another appetizer you must try if you go to Taps Beer and Wine Merchants is their tuna tartar.  Now call it tuna tartar, call it tuna crudo - just call it delicious.  I have three favorite tuna appetizers in the Tampa Bay area.  My absolute favorite is the ahi tuna tartar from Ocean Prime restaurant.  I especially love getting it for a lower price during Happy Hour.  Low cost plus gourmet deliciousness?  I'm sold!  It is absolutely the best tuna tartar appetizer around.  If you're an ahi fan, get over to Ocean Prime right away!  My second favorite is the tuna tartar (pictured below) from Taps Beer and Wine.  The chili oil, the crunchy wonton -- your taste buds will thank you! 

My third favorite tuna appetizer is the crunchy tuna bites (pictured below) on the happy hour bar menu from Mitchell's Fish Market.  Delicious sauce, a great bite and a firm chip for just the right amount of crunch.  This will definitely entice even non-tuna fans.  I savored these delicious bites with a glass of house made pineapple-infused vodka on the rocks.  If you happen to be in the Tampa area and decide to check out the bar at Mitchell's Fish Market, tip your bartender generously.  If the bartender working that evening happens to be my friend, he makes the most out of the world cocktails.  Just whisper "Are you a friend of Lily's?"  Even if the bartender is not a friend of mine, it will add a little bit of cloak and dagger spy talk to your evening.  And who doesn't want to be a secret agent for a day?  (Well maybe not me if you read my spy adventures at Chef Floyd Cardoz's cooking demo.)

And if tuna is not your thing - check out Mitchell's Fish Market's incredible Kung Pao Calamari.  Unless you're like my British cousin Anthony who has a peanut allergy and I forgot to tell him there are chopped peanuts in the dipping sauce.  Sorry Anthony!



So whether you prefer pretzel or cat (particularly my cats: Oshi and Diva pictured above), salmon or tuna or a big plate of deep fried calamari - the Tampa Bay area has a wide range of restaurants to suit your needs!

But maybe not your cat needs ....