Writes of Passage

1002 N. Rome Ave.
Tampa, FL 33607

A junkyard where I enjoyed visiting.

1212 Apollo Beach Blvd
Apollo Beach, FL 33572

Will return

A huge spaces with many separate areas (indoor and out), and a stage. Good food and decent service. Our server was bit too slow, who took our drink order with appetizers, then didn’t return for more than 30 minutes.

The crab cake is yummy and big – one could be enough for my dinner.
Fish taco is a little tasteless but the fish is fresh
Spicy scallops is yummy
Mahi mahi – good. The thin string beans is very tender.

5415 W Tyson Ave
Tampa, FL 33611

3.5 and Will return.

Very glad we made a pit stop here: friendly service and good food. The restaurant can be seen on the east bound on Gandy Bridge.

Smoked mahi fish
Steamed clams
Harken 2020 Chardonnay

It’s in the Marina Pointe condo development (?), probably will get busiest as residents moving in. I don’t think they’ve indoor area. So go to the bathroom to cool down if you need it .

The parking lot is pretty full during a Wednesday lunch and it’s only less than half full.

Our server is really sunny, sweet and decent, which brings me to recall why we love USA so much. Ok last, I’ve to brag about my encounter with Mr Baseball – Darryl Strawberry – ran into him at the airport and I asked for a selfie with him – my first ever. He’s so sweet and nice. Before I leave, I told him that no one has prettier swing than he and he’s the forever baseball player for me. He replied, “I appreciated it.” Hope he understood my chinglish TWO nice Americans made my day thank you.

 
Terminal C Delta 
New York, NY

When Joe Biden was Vice President, he commented that New York City

This is an industrial area in Saint Petersburg. FedEx, Closet by Design, etc.

69 Middle Neck Road
Great Neck, NY 11021

They’re open. Will return.

A new owner (?) opened at the same location with the same name (?)

We’ve lunch here before heading off to the US Open

• Spice beef 夫妻肺片
• Sticky rice 烧麦
• Xiaolong juice buns 小笼包
• Fish noodles

Other than Sticky rice 烧麦 isn’t what it is, the rest are fine. Not too spicy.

Street parking.

93-02 Sutphin Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11435

Don’t say that New York doesn’t have an airport express train. We certainly do: $8 fare for a total of 8.1 miles. It feels more like the tram between terminals in an airport than a viable transportation to an airport with a schedule and guaranteed time.

Where it is?

• Jamaica.

Where is Jamaica?

• May well be in the Caribbeans.

What trains or subway lines go to Jamaica Station?

• LIRR Port Washington and Long Beach lines; and subway E, J and Z lines.

How effective it is? 

We live without it. Most people don’t know it. We have been living well without it. A piece of nothing.

Today, I tried it, so I can blog here, legitimately. My journey to JFK cost $22.25:

• $9.25 LIRR Great Neck to Woodside
• $5 LIRR Woodside to Jamaica
• $8 AirTrain (pay at entry)

Journey back home cost $10.75

• $8 AirTrain (pay at exit)
• $2.75 subway E to Jackson Height to Flushing
• $0 N20G bus from Flushing to Great Neck

Any one would like to try the route to JFK? NOT ME. Neither Penn Station nor Grand Central have direct trains go to Jamaica Station in Queens. So, it is a piece of nothing.

50 Middle Neck Road
Great Neck, NY 11021

This is my go to Chinese restaurant in town. Always the same table -:)

I like what they wrote in Chinese in the bathroom that please only take (the paper) what you need.

Service is good. Although the food is on the sweet side but they’re generally very good. We’ve

• Eggplant with basil 九层塔烧茄子
• Shredded pork 京酱肉丝
• Pork joint in garlic sauce 鱼香扒肘子
• Shiraz, house red

Street parking and a parking lot in the back.

133-35 Roosevelt Avenue
Flushing, NY 11354

I thought this food mall has closed. But it isn’t. So I’m pretty happy to find my faved beancurd vendor, they now charge $8 per order.

Also I got two kinds of wonton from Happy Lemon: their qicai wanton 荠菜餛飩 is good $7 per big order. The regular Shanghai wonton ($6) is not good at all.

A lady is making zongzi, the sticky rice dumplings warped in multiple bamboo leaves. It uses glutinous rice with fills – can be salty, like meats, dried sausages, or sweet, such as red bean paste, served during duanwu 端午 or dragon boat festival, commemorating poet and politician Qi Yuan 屈原 (340-278 BC ). Because it uses the lunar calendar – on the fifth day of the fifth month. So each year has different date.  2022 is on June 3rd. It’s convenient to consume, so you can find it year around now.

113A Middle Neck Road
Great Neck, NY 11021

Won’t return – very uncomfortable chair – what the hell! They’re more than half empty. My back hurts.

This Mediterranean restaurant has been opened for a while, next to the Squire Cinemas (1935-2020) movie theater, which had been there for eight decades but closed two years ago.

We ordered four small plates

1. Eggplant – very good, served in a chipped bowl
2. Chickpea fritter – great
3. Octopus – ok
4. Artichoke Malawach – pizzaish: topping is good, crust is sweet.

Spacious bathroom. Street parking.