Pass-A-Grille, Florida June 10, 2011
Pass-A-Grille, or “Pass of the Grillers”, is a quaint old Florida beachside village that took its name from the fact that Indians used the narrow peninsula to grill their fish. Although it is today part of St. Pete Beach, it has retained its small-town look and feel, and is home to several great restaurants as well as interesting shops.
St. Pete Beach and the Postcard Inn
More scenes from St. Pete Beach
The Postcard Inn on St. Pete Beach
I had expected to get into St. Pete Beach around 1 or 2 in the morning, but given the time I killed in Tallahassee kicking it with the folks at Da Plugg Music and More, I ended up getting there at 4 AM instead. My beachfront motel, the Postcard Inn on the Beach, was a boutique hotel, an old motel that had been interestingly restored. Unfortunately, due to the late hour I arrived, by the time I woke up, it was almost time to check out, so I did not get a chance to get in the water, but I did manage to snap a number of photos.
Da Plugg Music and More in Tallahassee
Is there still a place in the music industry for the concept of record stores? Clearly some young entrepreneurs think so. Da Plugg Music and More is a really-cool new record store on South Adams Street in Tallahassee, not far from the FAMU campus. They have all the latest hip-hop releases, as well as mixtapes, magazines and DVDs. They are worth a visit.
Remembering Mahalia Jackson’s Fried Chicken in Tallahassee
Also on Adams Street was this building that I immediately recognized as a former location of Mahalia Jackson’s Fried Chicken. Note the similarity to the former location in Orange Mound in Memphis, where the words “Orange Mound” have been spray-painted on the upward swing of the roof. Mahalia Jackson’s Chicken System Inc. was an African-American fast-food venture launched by a group of Memphis businessmen led by A. W. Willis and Ben Hooks. Mahalia Jackson contributed her name and at least a portion of the chicken recipe. Locations were opened in predominantly-Black neighborhoods across America, but unfortunately, the Memphis businessmen decided to partner with former Tennessee gubernatorial candidate John Jay Hooker, who was seeming to have great success with Minnie Pearl’s Fried Chicken. Hooker’s Performance Systems Inc. bought 50% of the Mahalia Jackson system, and found rough going when they ran out of regions of the country to sell franchises. Ultimately all of the Minnie Pearl’s and Mahalia Jackson’s locations closed except for the Nashville franchise. That store was eventually purchased by E. W. Mayo, and became more famous for fried pies than chicken. I have heard that it now has closed as well. But this Tallahassee location, which I didn’t know about, is remarkably well-preserved.
Hi-Fi Jazz Cafe, Tallahassee
When i got to Tallahassee, near the Florida A & M campus on Adams Street, I happened upon this really cool-looking jazz cafe. Unfortunately, it was not open on Thursday night, but I took some pictures anyway.
In need of a coffee fix, I stopped at Cafe Louisa on Fairview Avenue in Montgomery for a cappuccino. I also bought a pound of Costa Rican coffee to take home.