Off the Cuff with Cheeky Monkeys

Today, Olga Bof and I had planned on going to Nitally's Thai and Mexican Fusion. When we arrived, we found that the restaurant was not open for lunch on Saturdays. Olga pointed out that there were several places where we could eat, so we chose Baby Cakes Cafe.

Baby Cakes Cafe is located at 2444 Central Avenue and has been open for only 2 days! When we walked in the door, there were a suprising number of people dining (considering it was only their second day.) We were immediately greeted and seated at a table next to the window so we could watch the people walking along Central Avenue. Baby Cakes offers a simple menu of charming soups, scrumptios salads, delectable sandwiches, delicious Latin dishes and decadent homemade desserts. We started off with baby empanades and then both had the roast pork plate ($9.95) which was served with yellow rice, sweet plantains and black beans. I wanted to try the flan for dessert, but we were both so full from the meal that we couldn't even think about it.

Baby Cakes is a relatively small restaurant with seating for approximately 40-50. The atmosphere is quaint, without a lot of decorations and clutter. Just good comfort food!! They do offer a children's menu and will offer catering as well.

Olga and I were watching the people roam from place to place on Central Avenue and we started talking about her venture. She will be opening Cheeky Monkeys Books and Toys in the Downtown St. Petersburg. Olga lived in London for 10 years before moving to St. Petersburg. In England, Cheeky Monkey is a term to describe a child who is about to do something bad but gets caught. For instance, they are going to do something that they know they are not allowed, but start to do it anyway. When they are caught, they are referred to as a Cheeky Monkey. Cheeky Monkeys Books and Toys will feature eco-friendly toys, old style wooden toys, non-toxic organic play dough. There will not be any toys with batteries! The store will also feature local artists, especially ones found on Etsy.com . If you are an artist currently selling on Etsy, you can contact Olga at cheekymonkeysbooks@gmail.com to see if there is a need for your items in her store. Olga is hoping to have the store open by Thanksgiving. All throughout lunch today, we remarked how the cosmos were calling her and the stars are aligned for this business. We both agreed that the Working Women of Tampa Bay has been invaluable to both of our businesses and what a phenomenal group of women in this organization.

When we finished our lunch, Olga asked if I had time to check out the QueensHead EuroBar. It was just a short walk away from the Cafe, so we decided to go and have an afternoon cocktail! What a great little place! the outside has cabanas and a great seating area. I was immediately welcomed and drawn into the environment. When we walked inside, I instantly fell in love with the place. We both ordered a glass of port (it was 5 oclock somewhere). A couple seats down from us, another gentlemen had just been served his lunch. It looked phenomenal! I had to ask him if I could please take a picture of it as it looked absolutely beautiful! He graciously obliged! This is definitely someplace that I will stop on the way to the Rays games. The decor was so much fun!

Join me tomorrow at a Surprise location for the 4th of July!

Just ask me if you are curious about a new spot in town!